ConsequenceFree
by CoolNick44
Summary: Takes place just after the end of "Vortex" and diverges from canon after that. What if Chloe came to Clark after the traumatic events of "Tempest" and gave him an alternative to waiting for Lana forever? Contains Chlark-y goodness.
1. Chapter 1

"Consequence-Free"

A Story by CoolNick44

Alfred Gough and Miles Millar own Smallville, or at least the era of it that I'm writing about. I only own an ingenious, sometimes filthy mind.

_This story takes place in an alternate reality soon after the end of "Vortex"._

Clark stood in his loft in the barn, having just spoken to Lana. The events of the last two days had really made him think. Whitney had left Smallville to join the Marine Corps, leaving Lana without a significant other. Clark kept thinking that this would be the perfect time to sweep Lana off her feet and tell her how he really felt. He knew that it was wrong though, since she was still technically with him, just in a long-distance relationship. Those never work though, and she had to move on sometime. Still, he had to stand by his morals. He turned around to leave the barn and instead saw Chloe standing at the entrance.

"Hey Chloe. What's up?"

Chloe walked up the stairs to meet him. "Hi Clark. I was just thinking about what we were talking about earlier today."

Clark remembered the conversation. He didn't know if he made the right decision by agreeing with her staying friends idea, but it seemed to be what she wanted at the time. "Yeah…"

Chloe smiled her infectious smile. "I just wanted to let you know that I completely understand that you didn't want to commit to a relationship when you still have feelings for Lana."

"It's just that I enjoy our friendship too much to see it possibly ruined by taking it too far." Clark was happy about what she said, but wondered why she had come all the way here to tell him. Was it that urgent?

"I absolutely agree. Now that we have that settled..." Chloe suddenly grabbed Clark's shoulders and kissed him on the mouth with passionate force.

Clark pulled away. "Chloe! You just said…"

"I know. We both don't want a relationship to compromise our friendship while you still have feelings for Lana. That doesn't mean we can't occasionally fool around while you wait for her to come around." With that she grabbed him again and started nibbling on his ear while she put her right hand on his ass.

Clark broke away, almost too shocked for words. "Chloe… what are you doing? We can't… I mean…"

Chloe giggled. "Oh come on, Clark. Lose the stiff moral righteousness for once. All it's ever gotten you is night after lonely night of staring at Lana through your telescope. Also copious masturbation, presumably."

Clark blushed a very bright red, recalling the many times he did indeed masturbate while using his X-Ray vision to watch Lana take a shower. "Chloe, this is wrong. You really should leave before you say something else you'll be embarrassed about later."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Who's embarrassed? I'm not afraid to cut loose anymore, and I don't regret anything about it. The question is; are you going to be smart enough to take me up on this once in a lifetime offer of consequences-free fun, or do you prefer waiting forever on Lana Lang and listening to your CD full of angst-y love songs?"

Clark was absolutely stunned. He had indeed enjoyed dancing with Chloe, and he couldn't deny she was very attractive, but it was still wrong. "I can't. You should leave."

Chloe looked at him for a second, and then shrugged. "Fine. Tell me right now that you have no desire whatsoever to take me over to that couch and do whatever you want with me, and I'll walk out of here and pretend this never happened."

Clark stood there, seemingly unable to speak. This was like some sort of hallucination. Chloe waited for him to say something. "There's a time limit on your answer, Clark. I'm not going to stand here for an hour while you mull over just how wrong it is."

Clark looked at her. Her points about how long he had been waiting for Lana were discomfortingly spot-on. It was still horrible to consider doing what she proposed, but he couldn't actually come up with a decent rebuttal to her argument. Chloe sighed and turned around to go, but was stopped by Clark's voice. "Don't go," he said.

She turned around. "What was that?"

Clark couldn't believe what he was saying. All of his conscience was screaming at him to tell her to leave, but he drowned it out. "I… I don't want to listen to that CD anymore."

Chloe thought he had honestly declined for a moment. He grabbed her and kissed her, pushing his tongue into her mouth and wrestling with her own. She came up for air and grinned seductively. "Whoa there Tiger. Let's take it over there." She motioned to the couch and pulled him by the hand over to it. "Sit down and enjoy the show."

He did so, and watched in awe as she kicked off her sandals and slowly took off her shirt, revealing that she wasn't wearing a bra. Her well-sized breasts were exposed to him, and he couldn't take his eyes off of them. Next, she un-zipped her jeans and let them fall to the floor. She kicked them off and proceeded to slide off her black lace panties. After that was done she stood before him completely naked. His eyes moved down to her shaved pussy, and after he got an eyeful she turned around to give him a nice view of her ass. "Like what you see?"

He nodded his head slowly, with the corners of his mouth slightly turning upward. She turned to face him again, and got on her knees in front of the couch. She looked up at him and smiled as she un-buttoned his jeans and un-zipped them at an agonizingly slow pace. She then pulled his jeans down around his ankles, leaving his boxers as the only barrier between Chloe and his plainly visible erection. "Aw Clark, you're blushing again. That's so cute." She tugged at the elastic of his boxers and pulled them down. In an instant, his cock sprang free. She licked her lips as she wrapped her hand around Clark's penis. She was amazed at how large it was. It was almost inhuman. Her hand stroked his shaft up and down, causing him to moan her name.

"Oh god, Chloe. Don't stop. Oh god."

"Does it feel good to have a hand jerking you off that isn't your own?"

Clark nodded his head yes in response, and then moaned louder. "Chloe, that's so good!"

"I'm glad to hear that. This is my first handjob, you know. Want to go to the next level?"

Clark nodded in between groans of pleasure.

"What Clark? What is it exactly that you want me to do?"

Clark had a slight problem actually saying it, but he quickly got over it. "I want you… to suck me off. I want a blowjob."

Chloe was very happy. "I'm happy to oblige." She engulfed his hard cock with her mouth and bobbed her head up and down, never taking her eyes off of his. Her tongue swirled around it and lapped up the pre-cum that oozed out. Her free hands went to his balls. She massaged them gently to complement the blowjob. Soon he started panting.

"Chloe, I'm going to cum. I'm gonna cum!"

She never took her mouth off his cock. Instead she sucked harder and faster, his cries of pleasure at his incoming ejaculation only encouraging her further. He came into her mouth and moaned with ecstasy. She stopped bobbing her head up and down, but kept her mouth on it, waiting for him to stop cumming. He filled her mouth with quite a load, but she swallowed it all like a champ. She took her mouth off, and licked the last drips of it off his still hard cock. She then stood up and sat down next to him on the couch. He put his arm around her as she snuggled up against his chest. She looked up to find him smiling at her with the giddiness of a schoolboy who just got a lollipop for good behavior. Or in this case, very bad behavior. "This is so wrong," he said as she put her arm across him. "But I don't care. It was worth it. Thank you so much."

"For the hand-slash-blowjob?"

Clark laughed. "Yeah, but also for helping me realize that I need to get off my high horse and have fun down in the mud sometimes."

Chloe purred contentedly as Clark moved his hand to caress her breast. "It's too bad this has to be a one-time thing."

Clark looked at her with genuine disappointment at first, but then he laughed and pulled her close to kiss her. "Yeah right."

Chloe giggled. "You're so gullible."

They sat together for what felt like ages, just caressing each other's bodies and kissing while the sun began to set.


	2. Chapter 2

"Consequence-Free"

A Story by CoolNick44

_Two weeks after the end of Chapter One_

Jonathan and Martha had gone out to Metropolis for the day to visit an old friend who had recently fallen ill. Not wanting to let a day alone at home with no parental supervision go to waste, Clark had invited Chloe over to have another impromptu session of fooling around. Currently, Clark was sitting at the kitchen table while Chloe was on her knees giving him a blowjob. She stopped and looked up at him, much to his dismay. "Clark, do you think we'll ever advance beyond oral sex and maybe try some actual sex sometime?"

Clark had been avoiding the subject for a week now. He was afraid, truth be told. He was scared that if he ever actually had intercourse with Chloe, his alien physiology might hurt her in some way. He knew that his cum wasn't dangerous or toxic or anything to humans, but he was erring on the side of caution for now. "I thought we had agreed it was best to progress at our own pace."

Chloe smirked. "You mean your own pace."

Clark scoffed. "Hey, I think we're moving along well. I went down on you last friday, and I told you I'm not opposed to trying the 69."

Chloe rolled her eyes and grinned. "You're so sweet and innocent even when you're talking about sex positions. I'm going to get you inside me one of these days."

Clark smiled back at her, but suddenly he heard a knock on the door. Chloe panicked and hid behind the counter.

"It's Lana. I came to return that textbook you let me borrow yesterday."

Clark had completely forgotten about that. "Um, I'm trying to fix a leaky pipe under the sink that's really close to bursting. Could you just leave it on the doorstep and I'll get it as soon as I'm finished?"

"Oh sure! I'm sorry, I didn't know you were busy. I'll leave it right here. See you later?"

Clark was relieved. "Sure Lana. Bye."

As soon as Chloe heard her walk away, she got up and smield at Clark. "That was close."

"You're telling me."

Chloe bit her lower lip seductively. "Wow, that 'almost got caught' feeling is making me really hot." She dropped to her knees again and began sucking on his cock even more passionately than before. Clark closed his eyes in pleasure and put his hand on the back of her head. In their renewed fit of lust, neither one of them noticed Lana standing at the kitchen window staring at them in shock. She couldn't believe her eyes.

To be continued...

_Sorry this chapter was sort of short. Hope that the cliffhanger kept you waiting for more though. I will update soon. Meanwhile please review. I'd like to hear some feedback. _


	3. Chapter 3

"Consequence-Free"

A Story by CoolNick44

_A few days after Chapter Two_

Chloe was in ecstasy. She was laying on the couch in Clark's loft, trying to control the moans of pleasure that fought to escape her mouth. She looked down to see Clark on his knees, with his head buried in Chloe's pussy. This was the third time that he had eaten her out, but each time felt better than the last. He was gentle and caring about it, and had an intimate knowledge of where all her most sensitive spots where. He would slowly lick her folds, making them moist with lust. Then he would suck tenderly on her rosy nub as he put a finger inside her and elicited even more moaning. Clark was humble though and always asked her if his ministrations were satisfying enough, and if she had any ideas for improvement on his technique. Her answer would always be the same. "Clark, when you go down on me you make my whole body feel like a G-Spot. There's no room for improvement."

Clark finished the job, and a powerful orgasm rocked through her body, causing her to squirt her juices all over his face. Once she was done, he got up and sat next to her. She was completely spent, and turned her head toward him lazily. "You're amazing, you know that?"

Clark wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "You keep it up with these complements and I could get a big head."

Chloe giggled and moved her hand down to his cock. "A big head huh? I could do something about that..."

Clark laughed. "You're insatiable."

"I know one thing that might sate us both."

Clark looked away slightly with his usual avasiveness regarding the subject. "I do want to..."

Chloe sat back on the couch and made her most adorable pout face. "That's news to me."

"It's just that I don't want to hurt you." That was certainly the truth, but he didn't include his real reason. Clark knew he couldn't keep dancing around the subject, but he still had no idea what kind of alien atrributes he still had yet to fully develop. What if having sex set off some chain reaction in his alien biology that would hurt her or worse?

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Men and their egos. Clark, your penis is big," she stroked his shaft gently as she spoke. "But you're not going to hurt me. It's not like you're different than any other human male in that respect."

The irony of her statement wasn't beyond him. "Yes, I know that."

"Clark, when we first started doing this you told me that you liked getting off your high horse and having fun in the mud. Well we've only scratched the surface of that fun. It looks to me like you're still slightly attached to the saddle."

Clark was trying to come up with a response when he heard his mother calling for him as she approached the barn. "Clark! Clark, are you there?"

Clark swore he felt his heart stop. And even though he wouldn't admit it to himself, he felt the slightest bit of relief at having not to continue this conversation. "Chloe, hide! I'll keep her from coming up."

Chloe got up and sprinted for cover behind the couch where they were sitting. "Clark, we're both naked!"

Clark grabbed his scattered clothes and ran into a corner to put them on at super speed. He ran down the stairs to meet Martha. "Hey mom. What's up?"

"Lana's on the phone. She said that you're late for a study group down at the Talon."

Clark had intended to leave almost an hour ago, but had completely forgotten when he got a call from Chloe telling him her Dad was away for the afternoon andshe wanted to come over. "Oh man, I forgot. Could you go tell her I'll be there in a flash?"

Martha grinned. "Aren't your parents' memories supposed to go before you?"

"You know me Mom. Always one to break a pattern."

Martha walked back off to he house, and Clark ran back up to find Chloe putting her shirt on. "We really need to work on these close calls. You have a study date with Lana you forgot about?"

"Hey, it's not my fault," Clark smiled and kissed her. "Your calls have a way of making me forget other obligations."

"I guess I'll try to sneak off without your parents noticing me," A thought suddenly occurred to her. "How did you get dressed so fast?"

He tried to laugh it off. "I'm the fastest man alive. I thought you knew that."

"That doesn't extend to the bedroom, I hope."

Clark kissed her. "I'll call you when I get back."

_At the Talon:_

Clark opened the doors to the Talon and entered. "Lana? Sorry I'm late." He suddenly noticed that the Talon was empty except for Lana sitting in a chair staring at him.

"Hey Clark. I called the others and told them I wasn't feeling well enough to do study group today."

Clark was extremely confused. "Lana, my mother said you called to remind me to come."

Lana got up and walked up to him. "I know. I wanted to talk to you alone."

"What's wrong? Is there some kind of trouble?"

Lana smirked. "No Clark. No trouble at all. I just hoped we could talk about a certain blonde schoolmate of ours who you've been getting to know, shall we say, orally."

For the second time, Clark thought he felt his heart stop. Chloe was right. They really should've worked more on the close calls thing.

To be continued...

_Yes, I am aware of how cruel I am. At least I update regularly. Reviews are my oxygen, so please drop a kind word. (Or critical one. I'm open to ideas for improvement.)_


	4. Chapter 4

"Consequence-Free"

A Story by CoolNick44

_Picking up where chapter three left off._

Clark had to fight hard to get over his shock and respond to Lana. "How did you find out?"

Lana gave him a glare. "A few days ago when I came to give you back a borrowed book. I happened to hear another voice as I was leaving and I peeked in the kitchen window. Suffice it to say, you weren't working on the sink."

"Lana, I'm sorry you had to find out about us, but..."

"But what, Clark?" she asked in a harsher tone.

Clark began to look slightly confused. "Lana, it is my personal life and my business what I do."

Lana gave him a condescending glance. "So it just took too long waiting to be with me so you find someone who'll have sex with you on the drop of a hat?"

Clark was angered. "Don't say that about Chloe!"

"Why? You're actually defending her 'honor'?"

Clark walked up to her. "Lana, I don't think you're thinking clearly. I know you feel hurt, but I don't want you to say anything else you'll regret later."

Lana raised her eyebrows in surprise. "_I'm _the one who's supposed to be sorry here? You're the one who plays the part of virtuous farm-boy by day and then gets together with Chloe just to get laid because you can't have me. I can't believe I actually liked you at first, you pig."

Clark wouldn't take it anymore. "You know Lana, my entire world doesn't revolve around you. At least not anymore. Your disapproval doesn't make me want to beg for forgiveness. I'm not just with Chloe because I'm waiting for you, and rest assured I've lost whatever desire I had to be with you in the first place. I'm out of here."

He turned and walked toward the door. Lana was furious. "Where the hell do you think you're going? I'm not finished yet!"

"To find Chloe, and I'm finished with you."

He left the Talon and didn't look back.

_Back at the Barn:_

Chloe walked up the steps to find Clark sitting by the telescope, apparently deep in thought. His call had sounded urgent, and he also sounded upset. Had something happened with Lana? She was hesitant to disrupt whatever train of thought he was on. "Clark?"

Clark looked up at her. "Oh, Chloe! Sorry I didn't notice you. I was thinking."

Chloe smiled. "I noticed. What's going on?"

Clark motioned for her to sit down. "Lana knows about us."

Chloe's eyes widened considerably. "Oh god."

"No, don't worry. I'm pretty sure she wouldn't tell anyone else. We had a... falling out."

Chloe had always known that he liked her, and put her hand on his back. "I'm sorry."

Clark found new resolve and got out of his sullen spell. "Don't be. It clarified a lot of things for me. Whatever you thought I felt about Lana isn't the case anymore. Either way, I didn't call you here to talk about that."

Chloe couldn't help feeling a little jubilant at hearing him say that, but didn't let it show on her face. She could tell that he was conflicted about something. "What do you want to talk about?" She had the most horrible feeling that he was going to tell her it was over.

Clark looked at her with his uniquely penetrating gaze. "Chloe, these past couple of weeks have been terrific. At first I just wanted to break loose and get off the high horse like you said, but that feeling didn't stay for long. I guess what I'm trying to get at is I think I fell in love with you at some point."

Chloe wanted to pinch herself, but she couldn't move her arms. How many times had she wanted nothing more than to hear him say that? She realized that he was waiting for a response. She couldn't say anything other thanwhat she was feeling. "I love you too Clark."

Clark smiled and kissed her deeply. She went to remove his shirt, and he did the same for her. They had gotten the process down to a science, and soon they were both nude. They had done this before of course, but it was different now. They both kept saying 'I love you' in between kisses, relishing the sound of the words. Chloe ran her hands through his hair and nibbled on his ear tenderly. They were both in heaven. Clark slipped two fingers inside her pussy and gently massaged the bundle of nerves in the center of it. She wanted to melt into a puddle. Their eyes were locked on each other, and she started stroking his cock to complement his ministrations. Chloe, in the rush of the moment, moved her body so that she was sitting on his lap. His hard cock was just inches away from her warm center. She started to move closer, and Clark was shockingly placing his hands on her hips to guide her. He might've gone through with it, but she once again said "I love you so much."

He moved his hands away. This wouldn't work. He couldn't go all the way without... well, going all the way in another sense. He loved Chloe, but he needed her to know everything. He respected her too much not to let her decide whether she wanted to continue with him after she learned all the facts. "Chloe, wait."

She gave him a look as if to say _Really? We're still not going to have sex?_

"Chloe, I need to show you something. You're probably going to want your clothes on."

Chloe relunctantly got off of him. "Clark, what's wrong? What's so important to show me that it couldn't have... waited, maybe?"

"Chloe, it's because I love you that I need you to know this. You already know that I was adopted, but there's more to it than that. I'm not from here."

Chloe was confused at this point. "You mean you weren't born in Kansas?"

"I wasn't born on earth."

Chloe was stunned. Had Clark just snapped or something? "What?"

"Chloe, the day of the meteor storm years ago, my adoptive parents found me and the rocket I came in. I'm an alien from another world. I have no idea where I come from, or who my real parents are."

Chloe couldn't believe her ears, and she was nearly too shocked by his words to speak. "Clark, this can't be the truth you're telling me."

Clark looked her square in the eye. "Chloe, look at me and tell me I'm lying."

"My god, you're serious. You really think that."

"I am an alien. I have powers that others don't. Look." Clark ran at super-speed across the barn and then back to her. "Believe me now?"

Chloe felt like she couldn't breathe. "How did you do that?"

Clark walked over to a large hay bale. "Can you lift that?"

"Not without help."

Clark proceeded to lift it in the air with one hand. "Chloe, I'm not a human. Remember all those mysterious times where I saved your life?"

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm convinced."

Clark stood before her. "Do you still want to be with me Chloe?"

Chloe had to sit back down. It was nearly too much to take in at once.

He sat next to her. "If you want to leave, I'll understand. It's just that I needed you to know."

Chloe didn't take long to make up her mind. She grabbed him by the shoulders and kissed him passionately. "Clark Kent, I love you. I always knew you were special. You're the best man I've ever known, and that hasn't changed."

Clark was the happiest person on the face of the planet. "You mean it?"

Chloe smiled. "I mean it more than I've ever meant anything. I love you. All of you."

Clark kissed her. "Now you know why I didn't want to have sex with you."

Chloe looked at him seductively. "Clark, I want you to make sweet love to me. I want whatever type of alien love you have, just so long as it's you."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

They both smiled and laid down on the couch. Clark knew that everything was going to be alright. It would always be, as long as they had each other.

_So it's up to you guys. Is that a good enough ending, or should I continue? Do you want to read about their first time and more after that, or not? Please give your thoughts in review form. Like I said, reviews are what I live and breathe. _


	5. Chapter 5

"Consequence-Free"

A Story by CoolNick44

_I did say that I would leave it up to you guys whether I should continue, but every chapter so far has gotten over 100 views, so I figure that people are at least interested in a wonderfully smutty epilogue. Enjoy! :)_

_Picking up where chapter four left off._

Clark and Chloe laid down on the couch, kissing passionately. Soon, they rolled off the couch and onto the thankfully rug-covered floor. Chloe giggled. "Wow. You sure know how to rough-house with a girl."

Clark smiled back at her. "Are you ready?"

"I've been ready, Clark. I love you."

Clark was going to ask her if she was absolutely sure, but he was through with talking. He had just told her his secret and she still loved him. Now that that was out of the way, he knew that he wanted to make love to her more than anything in his life. He positioned himself at her warm center, and looked into her eyes. She was biting her lower lip in anticipation. He put himself inside her. "Does it hurt?"

Chloe groaned, part in pain, part in pleasure. "I want all of you, Clark."

That was good enough for him. He slowly entered more and more until he was completely inside of her. She moaned in ecstasy. "Oh god, Clark."

He took that as words of encouragement. He started thrusting into her, and soon they found their own synchrony. She arched her back and her arms fell nearly limp by her sides. He gritted out her name between his teeth. His own name slipped between her lips as well as her mouth fell open in awe. They continued on, and eventually it happened. She orgasmed. She shouted his name as her walls tightened around his cock. He collapsed ontop as released his cum into her. Soon they were both asleep.

_The next morning:_

Chloe woke up and realized she wasn't alone. Clark's body lay upon her like the world's best, sexiest blanket. She also realized that he was still inside her. His cock had softened, but it still felt good inside her. She gently whispered in his ear. "Good morning."

Clark's eyes opened slowly, and he smiled. "Morning."

Chloe noticed his eyes were still locked on her. "What are you looking at?"

He kissed her. "Just the way the sun shines in and sparkles on your skin." He finally got out of her and laid next to her, arm around her as she snuggled into him.

She laughed. "Talk about a close encounter."

Clark had to laugh at that. "So you're not having second thoughts the morning after?"

Chloe kissed his neck. "Never. I love you so much."

Clark pulled her tighter and kissed her with loving intensity. "I just wish we hadn't waited so long."

Chloe grinned deviously. "We have a lot of lost time to make up for." With that, she released herself from his embrace and got on her hands and knees. "Not to mention a host of new positions I want to try. Fancy a little anal before breakfast?"

Clark smiled as he got up to get behind her. As he placed his hands on her sides, he said "That's the best idea I've heard in a while."


	6. Chapter 6

"Consequence-Free"

A Story by CoolNick44

_Okay, I'm officially continuing the story. The plan is probably to take it forward into season 2, but switch around and change certain events when needed. Don't worry though, there will still be plenty of wonderful Chlark smut. __I hope you guys enjoy!_

Jonathan, Martha, and Clark were walking toward the pick-up truck outside the farm. "So you're going to be alright for the weekend?"

Clark opened the truck door for his mother. "I'll be fine Mom. I'm not twelve. I have rudimentary cooking skills and the farm won't be in a complete shambles by the time you get back."

Martha smiled as she got in. "Yes I know. It's just that we're probably going to be going to these meetings a lot, and I want to know that you'll be alright."

Jonathan got in as well and started the truck. "He'll be fine Martha."

Clark shut the door. "I understand that you're going to have to take part in more of these farmer cooperatives if you want to keep the farm and help others keep their land. It's the right thing to do."

Martha sighed. "I just wish that this one wasn't a weekend conference in Metropolis and that we have to leave on Friday in order to get a room before the hotel is booked."

Jonathan buckled his seat belt. "Which means we've got to get out of here. Take care of the farm Clark. Hopefully we'll be back Sunday night."

Clark waved as the truck drove away. When he was sure that they were gone, he ran at super-speed all the way to Chloe's house. He knocked on the door. "Chloe? Are you home?"

Chloe answered the door. "Clark, I can't believe you're here! I've got some good news!"

Clark made a great big smile. "Me first. Mom and Dad are headed out to a farmer cooperative in Metropolis all weekend and I've got the house all to myself."

Chloe's jaw dropped. "Lex Luthor just called my dad yesterday and told him that he wanted him to be LexCorp's official representative at a cooperative in Metropolis."

Clark couldn't help but laugh. "You're kidding! Any chance it's the same one?"

Chloe playfully slapped him on ass. "Very funny. I can't believe we have the whole weekend to ourselves."

Clark grinned. "Want to take this party to my place?"

"Who am I to say no to a party invitation?"

Clark picked her up and held her as he sped all the way back to the farm. Chloe had to blink twice when she realized what had happened. "Oh wow. It's one thing to see that and another to actually feel it."

Clark put her down, but had to support her again because she was slightly dizzy. "Sorry. I didn't mean to disorient you."

Chloe tugged at his shirt. "Oh we haven't even started with the disorientation." She ran toward the house in a hurry. "I'd say catch me if you can, but we are talking about you here."

Clark stopped her. "Wait, we can't. Remember last time we tried sex in the house and I broke the bedframe? I was able to repair it on my own without my parents finding out, but maybe we shouldn't press our luck."

Chloe looked semi-disappointed at first, but got over it. "Wow. My guy breaks the bed during sex. That's actually really hot. It's alright. The 'fortress of solitude' is fine with me."

Clark smiled. "Still, I wanted it to be special..." They walked to the barn and he showed her the inside of it. There were lit candles everywhere and Clark had laid out a large blanket on the floor of the barn, as well as closed the windows and shut the doors so it would be dark save for the romantic lighting. "So I did this."

"Oh my god. You're so sweet! This is so romantic Clark."

Clark embraced her and kissed her passionately. "Well it's the best I could do on short notice. I'm glad you like it."

Chloe broke away from the kiss and bit her lower lip in the sexy, innocent way that Clark loved. "What you deserve is a reward." She took off her shirt and threw it so that it landed on his head. He laughed and took it off. He wouldn't miss an instant of this. Next, she slowly unbuttoned her jeans and pulled them off. Now all she was wearing was her black lace bra and panties. She walked over to Clark. "Don't move," she said. He obeyed, and she took off his shirt and jeans. His erection was plainly visible and straining against his boxers. Chloe whispered in his ear. "Looks like your little friend wants out of his fabric prison." She pulled down his boxers and Clark's dick came free. Finally she removed her underthings and got on her knees in front of him. She engulfed his dick and started licking up and down, occasionally looking up to enjoy his look of pleasure. After a minute, she stopped and crawled over to the blanket, laying down on her back.

Clark was confused. He was very hard and well on his way to cumming. "Chloe?"

She grinned. "Come over here." He did so and looked to her for elaboration. "I want you to cum on me Clark."

Clark tried to keep his eyes from widening. He had seen this sort of thing in the porn that he and Pete used to watch, but never thought he would really get to do it. "Are you sure?"

"Clark, I need you on me, not just inside me. Please."

Clark didn't need to be told twice. Chloe sat up on her elbows as he got down to position his dick at her. She closed her eyes, and he started stroking himself. When he felt he was close, he made sure he was still aimed at her face. "I love you Chloe." He stroked further, and soon he came. His sticky white fluid squirted all over her face. She opened her mouth and he stroked more of it out onto her awaiting tounge. When he was pretty much dry, he laid down next to her.

She opened her eyes and smiled. She swallowed what was in her mouth already and rubbed his cum over her face. She looked at him and grinned. "It feel nice. I guess that's why they call it a facial. Only this is more fun than an exfoliating mask."

Clark laughed. This was like his dream come true. More like his wet dream come true, but that was even better.

Chloe soon licked it all off. "Am I good?" she asked.

"You've got a little bit on your cheek."

She rubbed it off with her finger and held it out. "Want to taste yourself Clark?"

Clark was hesitant. They were getting pretty kinky in their sex life, but it occurred to him that he didn't care. He wanted to try anything that Chloe was up to, and she was pretty wild. He sucked it off her finger. "Not bad. I'd hate to think I tasted horrible."

Chloe laughed and snuggled up besdie him. "Who would've guessed that first contact would be rated NC-17?"

Clark chuckled. "Hey, quit with the movie alien references. It's racist." They both started laughing, but soon Clark started feeling hot. Really hot. Not even lusty hot. Before he could tell Chloe that something felt weird, beams of heat shot out of his eyes and created a hole in the barn door.

Chloe gasped. "Clark, what happened!"

Clark tried to answer, but he felt another heat beam coming. He closed his eyes, but it was fighting it's way through. "Chloe, I did that!"

Chloe was in shock. She ran over to the barn door and opened it, letting the sun shine through. "Clark, aim at the sky!"

Clark opened his eyes and heat beams shot out and through the barn door. After a couple seconds, it stopped. Clark blinked, and Chloe moved over to help him to his feet. "Are you okay?"

Clark felt the heat leave him. "I think it's alright now. What was that?"

Chloe was in shock. "Maybe some sort of new ability? It did happen right after you had an orgasm."

Clark looked at her, befuddled. "What would that have to do with it?"

"Well, it could be another way you release arousal, or even ejaculate."

"I ejaculate heat through my eyes!"

"Hey, it was just speculation." The ridiculousness of their words hit Chloe, and she started giggling.

Clark looked at her. "What? What's so funny?"

Chloe joked. "So you can't just cum like the rest of us, huh? You have to be all alien and pyrokinetic about it?"

Clark finally had to laugh with her. "I just can't believe this! I have to fix that hole in the barn now."

Chloe gathered their clothes. "I guess there goes the weekend. Do you want me to leave? I might get you hard again, and that would start a fire."

Clark put on his pants. "No, please stay. I need some help trying to sort this out."

Chloe put her shoes back on. "Whatever you want. You know I'm here for you." She hugged him.

Clark kissed her on the forehead. "Don't worry. I'll get a handle on this as soon as possible. I'm not going to let this weekend go by without some quality love making, alien abilities be damned."

_So, you know the rest. Please Review. Your feedback shapes the story. You can also private message me if you want. See you next time. The next chapter promises to be very comedic. :)_


	7. Chapter 7

"Consequence-Free"

A Story by CoolNick44

Clark and Chloe were fixing the hole in the barn door. Chloe wiped the sweat off her forehead. "This is definitely not the way I thought we'd be spending Saturday evening. Doing woodwork outside in the middle of the hottest Smallville summer on record."

Clark looked up from working. "I know. I'm really sorry. This new 'ability' certainly came at the worst possible time."

She smiled and rubbed his shoulder. "Clark, I'm not complaining. You know I love you. Hell, I'd build the whole damn barn again if it would help."

Clark kissed her. "You're too good for me."

She blushed. "Says the guy with powers far beyond those of mortal men."

"You mean 'says the guy who has no idea how to control said powers.' My god Chloe, I'm afraid of even looking at you for fear I'll give you sixth degree burns."

Chloe continued working. "I'll tell you what. When we finish this door, and by the way I respect your ability to do chores on a farm a hell of a lot more now, we'll get some rest. Then first thing tomorrow morning we'll try to help you get a handle on this new development."

"Sounds good," Clark sighed. "Make sure to sleep lightly in case I set the house on fire in the middle of the night."

Chloe laughed. After they finished the door, thanks in no small part to Clark's super speed, they went into the Kent house to go to bed. Clark approached his bedroom door, and looked at her hesitantly. "You can have the bed and I could sleep on the floor if you want..."

Chloe smiled. "I'm pretty sure the fire eyes thing is activated through lust. I don't see anything wrong with sleeping together in the actual sleeping sense."

Clark nodded his head. "You're probably right. I just can't think straight with all this going on."

Chloe went over to a dresser drawer. "Mind if I borrow one of your T-shirts?"

Clark went into the other room to change into his night clothes and came back to see Chloe in bed wearing his Smallville Crows T-shirt. He slipped under the sheets. "Sorry our perfect weekend isn't going according to plan."

Chloe snuggled up next to him, resting her head in the crook of his neck. "Clark, I'm about to go to sleep in the arms of the man of my dreams. I wouldn't have it any other way."

_The next morning:_

Clark's eyes opened slowly to the sight of Chloe in his arms. It was a sight he wished he could wake up to more often. She was snoring, and even that was beautiful. "Good morning", he whispered. She opened her eyes as well and hugged him. "Morning. You make a great pillow, Clark." They laughed, and then dressed to go downstairs for breakfast.

When they were done eating, Clark looked at her awkwardly. "So how exactly do you want to go about 'getting a handle' on this new ability of mine?"

"Well, the goal is obviously for you to control the power so that it doesn't randomly happen during sex. I figure the way to do that is to focus it on something. The hard part is, what kind of target can we make."

Clark thought a minute. "I could whip up a make-shift scarecrow."

"That would work."

Soon enough they were standing outside, looking at the scarecrow Clark had made. "Not bad for such short notice."

Chloe smirked. "You're a real artist. Now, can you just will the heat to come?"

"Hopefully I won't set the farm ablaze." Clark adopted a look of intense concentration. After a few seconds he stopped. "I don't feel anything."

"Hmm. Maybe it's only triggered by arousal. I could do something about that."

"Chloe, it might be too dangerous."

Chloe grinned. "Don't worry. No physical contact yet. Just some... verbal stimulation."

Clark looked at her with slight confusion on his face. "Verbal?"

Chloe leaned close and looked at him seductively. "Clark," she whispered in his ear in a husky tone. "I want to take you into the barn right now and fuck you. I'll ride you so hard until we're both screaming in ecstasy. Do you like that Clark?"

Her words had the intended effect. Suddenly beams of heat came from his eyes and set the scarecrow on fire. Chloe kissed him on the cheek. "That's step one." She got a bucket of water and threw it on the scarecrow, putting it out. "Now, let's try something more specific." She grabbed a bunch of stones off the ground. "It'll be like shooting clay pigeons. Try to fire a small, concentrated burst of heat at each one." She tossed one in the air, and he aimed his eyes toward it. He fired, but missed.

Chloe smiled. "It's alright. We have time to perfect it. Here goes another one." She threw it up in the air, and he fired. This time it was a hit. It landed on the ground, melted. Chloe clapped. "Good! Let's try a couple more to be sure you've mastered it. Remember it's all about control."

Soon they had melted about fifteen stones. Chloe walked over to him. "Now the most important part. Learning to control the trigger."

Clark knew that would be difficult. "I liked melting stones better."

Chloe laughed. "Okay, now try to control it, no matter what I say or how... excited you are."

Clark gritted his teeth and nodded. "Give me your best shot."

Chloe whispered in his ear again. "Clark, I want to go down on you, and suck you so that you'll cum all over me." She saw that he had started sweating, but so far nothing. She pressed further. "I want you to put your big hard cock in me, and thrust in and out until I scream your name."

Clark felt like he couldn't hold it back for too long, but he kept fighting it. Eventually he won. The heat passed from him. Well, the heat vision heat at least.

"Looks like you did it, Clark."

Clark smiled. "It was tough, but it didn't get to me."

"Now don't go and wound a girl's pride. I did top-notch work there. Plus, my labors weren't entirely fruitless." She pointed down to his erection straining against his jeans.

Clark laughed slightly. "That I can handle. A hard-on won't set you on fire."

Chloe tugged at his shirt. "It depends on what you mean by fire." She stopped. "Do you want to wait a little bit to see if it's really under control?"

Clark grinned. "I feel fine. In fact, I feel more than fine."

Chloe kissed him passionately. "Have I ever told you how amazing you are?"

"About as many times as I've tried to correct you. You're the amazing one, Chloe."

They went into the barn and shed their clothes. He laid down on the blanket, still there from last night, and she straddled his hips. "Time to make those scenarios I told you about a reality." She guided him inside her pussy, and started riding him. Just like she predicted, it ended with screams of pleasure and fierce orgasms.

_N__ext chapter we'll head into the rest of "Hea__t" with the introduction of Lex Luthor's suspicious new fiance. Hope to see you there! Please review or feel free to PM me in the meantime. :)_


	8. Chapter 8

"Consequence-Free"

A Story by CoolNick44

The new school year arrived, and Chloe was simply ecstatic to begin working on the Torch again. Clark was slightly less excited however, due in part to the uncomfortable situation with Lana Lang. He hadn't spoken to her since their confrontation in the Talon, and he didn't know whether things had died down yet. As he entered the school, he saw Lana with a video camera, talking to a group of other students. He realized it was probably a video letter for Whitney. He walked quietly by, but Lana had finished her conversation with the others and saw him. She walked up to him. "Clark..." she started to say, but stopped.

Clark turned around. "Hey," he said without much feeling behind it. He was about to walk away, but she stopped him.

"Clark wait. I know you're justifiably mad at me for what happened a couple months ago, but I wanted to say... I'm sorry. I was really insensitive and judgmental. Are you and Chloe still together?"

Clark hesitated. "Yeah."

"Then I wish you the best," they walked to a less crowded section of the hallway where no one could hear them. "With Whitney gone, a lot of things just started piling up and I was in a bad place for a while. I'm not trying to justify myself, but I hope we can still be friends."

Clark nodded. "Sounds good to me." She was about to leave but he had to know. "Lana? Did you..."

"Tell anyone about you and Chloe? No. I thought about spreading word across the school for awhile, I'm sorry to say, but no one else knows."

Clark felt a great weight being lifted off his shoulders. "Thank you," he noticed her camera again. "So is that for Whitney?"

"Yeah actually. Do you want to say something?"

"Sure. I'm no good at those things though." Clark commenced with making a fool out himself in front of the camera until Pete valiantly stepped in and saved the day. Clark soon parted with them when he saw Chloe walking toward class. She saw him and smiled.

"Hey Clark," she resisted the urge to embrace him. She also saw Lana across the hall and her eyes widened.

Clark smiled. "It's alright. No one else knows. She's really sorry and still wants to be friends."

Chloe breathed easier. "Well that's a relief. I'm glad too. Now I can finally go to the talon again for coffee."

Clark grinned. They proceeded to walk to class.

Later on, Clark and Pete made their way toward the first Biology class of the new year. "Oh great." Pete said sadly.

"What?"

"Every year the incredibly aged Mrs. Kowalski kicks off biology class with an ancient sex ed film."

Clark had to keep from smiling. He wasn't exactly in need of education in that department. "Who told you that, your brother?"

"My dad."

"Well I'm sure it can't be all bad." They took their seats and waited for Mrs. Kowalski to arrive. Instead, someone completely different walked in. She wore a very short dress and had long black hair.

"Good Morning. I'm Miss Atkins. I'll be your new biology teacher on health and human development. I'm really sorry about the air conditioning in here, but it looks like we're going to have to suffer through this together."

Clark felt flushed, but not because of her. Well, it might be because of her. He felt like the heat vision was returning, but how could that be? He had gotten a handle on it with Chloe. Suddenly his mind was flooded with memories of the fun weekend he and Chloe had had a week before, and he couldn't stop himself. Beams of heat shot out of his eyes and into the projector. A fire erupted, and everyone took notice. It spread, and the students got up. Some screamed "Fire!". The teacher was shocked. "Walk, do not run! Leave your books, let's go!" Clark and the others left the classroom in a hurry.

_Later:_

The firemen had successfully put out the fire in Biology class. Clark had found Chloe. "Chloe, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. What happened in there?"

"Chloe, something weird happened. It was me. I caused the fire... with my eyes."

"I thought you said it was under control!"

Clark was panicked. "I thought it was! It was something about the new Biology teacher."

Chloe looked at him, almost hurt. "Oh my god, your heat vision triggered by looking at her?"

"No, of course not. At least I don't think. I was thinking of last weekend when it happened. Something triggered my memories. Something strong."

Chloe was about to respond when she saw Lex Luthor's car pull up. "Clark, it's Lex."

Clark saw as well. "Okay, you go back with the other students and we'll talk later," he squeezed her hand lightly and whispered. "I love you."

She smiled in response, and he went to meet Lex.

_Later that night:_

Chloe arrived at the barn to find Clark pacing in the loft. She waved to him, and he smiled slightly. She came up and they sat down together on the couch. "Clark, what's wrong?"

"You'll never believe it. Lex is getting married to the Biology teacher, Ms. Atkins."

"You're kidding!"

"He says he loves her. I guess he knows what he's doing, but I don't know what to do about her. She did trigger something in me when she came in the room that caused me to... you know."

Chloe put her hand on his shoulder. "We have to be objective to figure out what's going on. Are you attracted to her? I mean, it's okay if you momentarily felt something. She looks like a centerfold for God's sake."

"Well, no. I really don't think it was her looks that did it. Something made me remember when you and I were together. It corresponded with when she entered the room."

"This is definitely Wall of Weird material either way. Maybe it was a fluke."

Clark smiled. "Yeah. Here's hoping. We shouldn't worry right now." He kissed her. "Hey, I almost forgot. I'm Lex's best man, and he told me to tell you you're invited too. The wedding is tomorrow at the mansion."

Chloe was shocked. "Really? Wow, I'll have to find something to wear."

Clark laughed. "I wouldn't worry too much. You look beautiful in anything."

"You're sweet. Still, it's not every day I get invited to a wedding at the Luthor mansion."

"You'll be the prettiest one there." He kissed her passionately, and then made sure with his X-Ray vision that his mother and father were nowhere near the barn. "You're always the prettiest one," he said, getting on his knees in front of her as he unbuttoned her jeans.

"Flattery will get you everywhere Clark." She moaned as he started eating out her pussy.

_Hope you guys liked this chapter. Please review, and I'll try to update soon. :)_


	9. Chapter 9

"Consequence-Free"

A Story by CoolNick44

The wedding reception was beautiful. Lex Luthor really went all out when he wanted to celebrate something. Chloe was sitting at a table with a small piece of the enormous wedding cake. Apparently it was made by a French chef Lex flew in. Clark came over and sat down opposite her at the table. "What news from the front?" she asked, half-jokingly.

"You'll never guess what Lex just told me."

"Try me."

"He just met her last week in Metropolis on a business trip. He's totally convinced that she doesn't want him for his money, and I've never really known Lex to be naive."

Chloe nodded slowly, thinking. "You're right, Lex isn't stupid," she leaned in slightly so that they couldn't be heard. "Do you think I was just on your mind that day in class?"

"Chloe, the only thing on my mind in Biology class that morning was Pete's horror story about Mrs. Kowalski playing a sex-ed film," Something seemed to dawn on Clark. "Hey, it is sort of weird that we suddenly have a new Biology teacher fresh in from Metropolis, isn't it?"

Chloe got his drift. "I'll start running a background check on the new Mrs. Luthor and see if I can't find anything."

Clark smiled. "Thanks. I'd hate to think my newfound control of this ability was all for nothing."

Chloe grinned ever-so-slightly. "No problem. I'd be the one who would hate to think we didn't tame you that weekend."

Clark returned her secretive smirk, but before he could respond, he saw Lex walking toward them. "Hey Clark, Chloe. Enjoying yourselves?"

"Yes, definitely. You sure know how to throw a wedding."

"More like I know how to hire great wedding planners, but thanks."

Lex walked off to see how the other guests were doing. For just a moment there, he swore that Clark and Chloe were acting... close. It was probably nothing.

_The next night:_

Chloe arrived at the barn to see Clark lighting numerous candles with his eyes. "Hey. What's going on?"

Clark shrugged. "I guess I just wanted to make sure I really had control over myself. I really seem to have perfected it."

She laughed. "I noticed." She motioned to all the lit candles. "Have you told your parents about the ability yet?"

"Yeah. They were shocked, but then I showed them the candle thing and they figured that as long as I had it under control there was nothing to worry about. I figured I better not tell them about the fire at school just yet. Not until we figure out what exactly happened."

"The hunt for info on the lady in question is still slow-going, but I'll find something." She sat down next to him. "Even in a record heat wave, the candles are still really romantic."

"You think so?" He embraced her and kissed her. "Sorry we haven't been able to get really intimate this last week or so."

Chloe moved her lips down to his neck and nibbled slightly on his ear. "It's alright. Crazy things have been happening lately."

Clark smiled at her. "Mom and Dad are in town. Nothing's stopping us from being a little intimate right now."

"You read my mind." She kissed him fiercely again. "Wait, mind reading isn't another new ability, right?"

"Not as far as I know." He was in the process of taking off her shirt when he heard something he recognized as footsteps and quickly got up with Chloe. "Someone's coming!" He whispered. She ran over to hide behind a stack of hay bales as Clark saw none other than Desiree walking up the steps.

"Hey Clark. It's a little hot for candles, isn't it?"

Clark was surprised. "Mrs. Luthor..."

She smiled. "Only at school. The rest of the time, I prefer Desiree. I went by the house... but nobody was home, and then I saw the light in the loft..."

"Uh, yeah. My parents went into town."

Desiree stepped closer. "Actually Clark, I came to see you."

"Really?"

She was uncomfortably close now. "You see, most girls like older men, but not me. I like younger guys. What they lack in experience they make up for in passion."

Clark was absolutely shocked at what he was hearing. "Is that right?"

"Yeah. In fact I saw you staring at me in class the other day..."

"Oh, I'm sorry. It wasn't..."

She interrupted him. "No, it's okay. I was flattered. As a matter of fact..." She put her hands on his shoulders. "I was hoping we could work on our teacher-student relations."

From behind the hay bale, Chloe barely resisted the urge to run out and hit her. What the hell did she think she was doing with Clark?

Clark tried to move away, but just like in Biology class he began to think of what he was about to do with Chloe before she arrived. He felt the heat returning, but he was able to control it. "I... uh, wait... you're married to my best friend. I don't know what you expected here tonight, but Lex is my best friend. I'm not gonna do anything to hurt him."

She looked shocked that Clark hadn't pounced on her that instant. "I don't know what came over me. Please don't tell Lex, okay? I'm so sorry." She walked away down the stairs and made a hurried exit.

Chloe came out from where she was hiding after a second. "Oh my god. What was that?"

Clark looked astonished. "She was trying to have sex with me!"

"I noticed. What a bitch! Now we know something's up. You'd better tell Lex what happened."

Clark nodded. "There was something else. The heat vision started to come back. I can fully control it now, but her presence triggered thoughts of you just like in class."

"Really?" She couldn't come up with an explanation for any of this.

Clark looked confused as well. "Well, there's nothing we can do until tomorrow."

"Yeah. I guess I should be thankful that I have such a faithful boyfriend."

Clark tried to smile again. "Was there ever any doubt?"

Chloe wrapped her arms around him. "Would I come across as really sex-starved if I told you I wanted to pick up where we were and forget about everything for now?"

"Only as much as I am." He kissed her and took off her shirt. She unbuttoned his pants and stuck her hand in his boxers, wrapping her hand around his hard shaft and stroking. Soon they were both clothes-free. Chloe laid down on the floor and Clark penetrated her. She groaned and ran her hands down his back to his ass as he continued to pound her like sexy hammer to nail. She bit her lower lip as she thrusted her hips upward to match him. It turned her on even more to see their actions silhouetted by the candle light. They continued onward for what felt like hours until she lost herself in orgasm and he came into her. Unfortunately he had to take her home soon afterward, depriving her of the after-sex cuddling they enjoyed so much. Still, just having him inside her again was worth it. They kissed farewell outside her house while saying "I love you". Little did either of them know what trials the next day would bring.

_Okay, next chapter might be the conclusion, but no promises. Please review, and I'll update as soon as possible. :) _


	10. Chapter 10

"Consequence-Free"

A Story by CoolNick44

Chloe walked hesitantly into the Talon. She wasn't sure if it was a good idea, in fact she was sure it wasn't a good idea seeing as how Clark had just recently gotten back on good terms with Lana, but the Talon was Smallville's number one hang-out and she used to get some quality tips on stories from the gossipers that hung out there. The first thing she noticed was that the entire place was empty. The second thing she noticed was that Lana was sitting behind the counter, crying. She walked up to the counter. "Lana? What's wrong?"

Lana looked up, but couldn't speak. She was holding a piece of paper, now stained from tears. "Lex is closing the Talon," she said in between sobs.

"What?"

She wiped away her tears. "He came earlier today and said he was invoking the buyout clause of our partnership agreement. I've got 24 hours to vacate the premises!"

Chloe was stunned. "How could Lex do that to you?"

"He says that it's not a good business decision to keep it open!"

"That doesn't sound like a very Lex thing to do. Luthor senior sure, but..."

"I thought he'd changed after seeing him fight to keep the factory, but apparently not. He's not even friends with Clark anymore."

Clark had said that he was going to see Lex about Desiree's failed seduction the previous night. Apparently it didn't work out. Chloe had a feeling that Lex's newfound evil streak wasn't entirely his own fault. "Lana, I'll be back. I've got to check something out."

"Something's wrong, I just know it."

"You've got that right." Chloe left in a hurry.

_At the Kent Farm:_

Chloe arrived at the Kent house trying to come up with a plan to stop the new Mrs. Luthor. She also arrived just in time to see the Sheriff putting Clark into the back of a Police car with handcuffs. As the police car left, Clark saw her and put his hand on the window. She ran up and saw Mr. and Mrs. Kent standing outisde. "Oh my god, what's going on?"

Jonathan looked near furious. "My son has just been arrested on charges of arson!"

Chloe couldn't believe it. They should've acted sooner. "It's Desiree Atkins, isn't it?"

Jonathan looked at her. "Mrs. Luthor," he said bitterly, "says that Clark set her car on fire."

"That can't be true!"

Martha was horribly worried. "Of course it's not. Chloe, we've got to go down to the police station. Do you want to come with us?"

She really wanted to. What she wanted to do was break Clark out of jail so they could go kill Desiree and slap Lex until he realized what he was doing. "Actually, I'd better continue my research on Mrs. Luthor. I know I'm onto something."

Jonathan walked with Martha over to the truck. "I'm going to have a talk with that woman tomorrow and ask her what she thinks she's doing."

Martha nodded resolutely. "Good. I'll find Lex and hope he sees some sense." They got into the truck and drove off.

_The Next Day:_

Clark sat in his cell, wondering how he was going to get out of this situation. He couldn't believe that Desiree had gone this far. There had to be some way to get out. It was then that he saw Chloe walk in. "Chloe! I'm so glad you're here."

Chloe smiled. "Sorry I didn't have time to bake a file into a cake," she walked closer and wished he was holding her. "How are you holding up?"

"Besides being accused of being a serial arsonist and trying to sleep with my best friend's wife, I'm great."

"Don't give up hope just yet Clark. I've got news. Apparently our friend Desiree Atkins is actually Allison Sanders, and she was popular with the boys in this town even back when she was a teenager. She was in the heat of passion with her boyfriend in his truck when the meteors hit."

Clark was amazed. "She has special powers because of the meteor rocks," he sighed. "That keeps on happening in this town, doesn't it?"

"Specifically, she can control men with pheromones. She controlled her boyfriend into murdering her own parents so she could inherit their money. It's the classic black widow scenario. Five years pass. Now she becomes a teacher and marries a wealthy shipping executive, only to see one of her obsessed students kill him. Unfortunately, she was majorly invested in dot coms. Now she's broke, and comes after Lex Luthor."

Clark was furious. "I can't believe this. She got me locked up now so that she can do whatever she wants to whoever she wants. At least her plan to kill Lex using me fell through."

Chloe suddenly realized something. "Uh-Oh. Your dad mentioned last night that he was going to go pay her a visit."

Clark's eyes widened. "Oh god, she's going to use him!"

"We need to get you out of here."

Clark was thinking. "Wait, do you see that smoke alarm up there on the wall?"

Chloe looked up. "Yeah, why... oh. I get it." She leaned in to whisper more quietly. "I'll wait outside for you, then we can go to the mansion."

"Wrong. I'll go. It's too dangerous for you."

Chloe was about to object, but Sheriff Ethan came in and interrupted them. "Time's up, Ms. Sullivan."

Chloe hesitantly walked out. "I'll see you soon Clark."

Clark nodded at her, but with a look that clearly said _I'm going alone. _He didn't know her very well, did he? She left the police station and waited in the alley. Soon she heard an alarm go off, and saw Clark speed out into the alley a moment later. "Chloe, I told you to go."

"Clark, you need me there! What if she uses her power on you and it works this time?"

Clark looked at her a moment. "You're persistent, I'll give you that." He picked her up, and they sped off. It was amazing to see the world slow down. She also enjoyed being in his arms again.

Soon they were standing outside the Luthor mansion. Clark set her down. "Go around back so that no one sees you."

"And what if she works her mojo on you?"

Clark smiled slightly. "Seeing you there will make sure it doesn't work." He kissed her. "I love you. Now go."

Chloe ran around back. She saw none other than Jonathan Kent standing there with a shotgun. Desiree opened the door, and he entered, saying something about how he wasn't going to let Lex add Desiree's name to his list of victims. Desiree did get to him. She panicked as she saw Mr. Kent aim the gun at Lex. She also saw Clark there in the doorway. Jonathan fired his gun, but Clark destroyed the bullets with his heat vision. Chloe saw Clark trying to tend to Lex, but Desiree tried to escape. She was about to enter and help, but Desiree screamed in pain. Clark had heated the door handle. Clark looked up and saw Chloe. He smiled at her and gave her thumbs up.

_That Night:_

Chloe sat with Clark on the couch in his loft. "So Desiree's going away for good?"

Clark shrugged. "Not on nearly as many charges as I'd like, but we've seen the last of her."

Chloe smiled. "You really saved the day there in the mansion."

"I guess having beams of heat come out of your eyes comes in handy from time to time."

"So did you tell your parents?"

Clark nodded. "Yeah, right before they went out on a date. I think he wants to make it up to her for falling under Desiree's spell."

Chloe kissed him. "It's not his fault, he just didn't have your alien invincibility."

Clark laughed. "Well, I'm not immortal or anything."

"The only thing I care about is that you're alright, and that we don't have to worry about Ms. Sanders, or Atkins, or whatever she wants to call herself."

Clark unbuttoned his shirt. "Yeah. And my parents are out all night. We have the place to ourselves."

She helped him take it off, and started working on her own shirt. "Gee, I hope we don't get bored." With that, they started passionately making out and working on removing each other's clothes.

Outside the barn, Lex walked up to find Clark. He had already thanked him for helping him realize the truth about Desiree, but he was truly grateful. He entered the barn and was about to announce his presence, but stopped when he started hearing a feminine voice. More specifically, a feminine moaning. He saw Clark and Chloe in the middle of disrobing. He couldn't believe his eyes, and quickly made an exit. He had sensed something was going on with them at the wedding reception, but hadn't thought they were... together. As he made a stealthy departure, he smiled to himself. "Well, Clark. It's nice to see you taking the initiative for once."

_And "Heat" is done. Thanks to all the positive feedback on this story. It really helps when I'm having a bit of writer's block. Hope you all liked the twist ending. In the meantime, please review. Hopefully I'll have time to start working on the next chapter soon. "Duplicity", here I come. :)_


	11. Chapter 11

"Consequence-Free"

A Story by CoolNick44

Clark and Chloe had adopted a routine. Her dad was almost always at work, so she would come over whenever Jonathan and Martha were in town or otherwise absent to spend time with Clark. Sometimes they would spend a night together, but only if his parents were out of town. They had gotten it down to a science, and perfected the art of not being caught with excuses about study sessions when anybody was curious as to why they were spending so much time together. So far it had worked perfectly. No one except Lana knew that Clark and Chloe were in a relationship. Today, Jonathan and Martha had left on an errand that Clark estimated would take an hour and a half, a perfect oppurtunity for a quick nooner, so he sped over to Chloe's house and sped back with her, eliminating the need to waste time driving to and from the farm. Currently, they were engaged in a passionate round of anal sex. Chloe was on her hands and knees, moaning in delight while he thrust in and out of her ass. "Oh god Clark! I love you!"

Clark gave one last thrust as he came into her and she finally collapsed onto the blankets. He laid next to her. "I love you too."

"You know, I always used to think that there was no such thing as the perfect boyfriend. Turns out I just wasn't looking on the right planet."

Clark kissed her. "I'm glad to know I've ruined human sex for you."

"Damn, I knew there was a catch somewhere." They both laughed at that, and she laid her head on his chest.

Clark had been thinking about this for a few days. He figured now was as good a time as any to bring it up. "I've been thinking about not keeping our relationship a secret anymore."

Chloe lifted her head up, surprised. "Really? Why now?"

"It's been bouncing around in my head for a while. I want to be able to hold your hand when we're at school, just hanging out, or whatever. I want to be able to take you on a date."

Chloe grinned at the thought of her and Clark going on a date in public. "I'd assumed we had reason to keep it secret from people..."

"Well, when we first started having sex I wasn't sure if it was actually a relationship or not. After we really got together, I guess I wasn't ready to tell my parents or have it be general knowledge that Clark Kent and Chloe Sullivan were an item," he paused and put his arm around her. "Saying it out loud makes it seem a little cowardly doesn't it?"

Chloe kissed him. "You cowardly? The bulletproof man with heat vision and super speed?" she smiled. "You're the bravest person I know."

"So what do you think?"

Chloe thought a minute. "I assume that we'd still keep the more R-rated parts of our personal lives a secret?"

Clark laughed slightly. "Some things are better not being general knowledge."

"Agreed. So do you want me to print the announcement in the next issue of the Torch?"

His eyes widened and she laughed. "You are so gullible," she playfully slapped him on the arm.

"That's me. The gullible guy from outer space."

"It's not like we have to make a big deal out of it. We could just start holding hands in public and stuff."

Clark nodded. "That sounds good," he thought of something. "Maybe we should tell Pete first though. I mean we are friends with him and it would be a little unfair to just leave him out of the loop."

Suddenly both of them heard the sound of a vehicle approaching outside. Chloe was shocked. "I thought you said your parents weren't due back this soon!"

"They aren't," Clark used his X-Ray vision to look outside the barn. "It's Pete."

"Well here's our oppurtunity to let him in the loop." She got up and put her clothes on.

Clark was already dressed, thanks to his speed. "I'll go talk to him while you finish dressing. Are you sure you want to let him in the loop now?"

"Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today. That's what my dad always says."

"Parental advice is always worth following then." He walked down the stairs and out to Pete's car.

"Hey Clark. Anything going on?"

"Well actually... I did want to tell you something."

Pete was grinning like a fool. "Whatever it is, I bet I can top it."

"You go first then."

Chloe went out the back and made it seem like she was coming from out of the house instead. "Hey Pete."

He didn't even question why she was there. He must really have something on his mind. "Hey Chloe. I'm glad you're here. The more the merrier." He turned to Clark again. "We need to borrow your dad's truck."

"For what?"

"I'll explain on the way. Come on, we don't have much time."

Chloe was intrigued. "What's the big secret about?"

Pete still had the eager grin on his face. "If I told you, you wouldn't believe me. You gotta see it with your own eyes."

Clark looked at Chloe, who nodded. "You've got me interested now. What do you say Clark?"

"Okay, let's go."

Pete remained quiet the whole drive over. This must be some sight to see. When they finally arrived, he got out and ran to check and see if whatever he was looking for was still there. He came back a second later. "Okay ladies and gentlemen. Or lady and gentleman. Prepare to have your minds blown." He hurried them into the field and presented his find. Clark was in shock. It was his ship. The same one that left during the tornado when Nixon put the key in it. He realized that Chloe had never seen it before. Her mouth was hanging open in surprise. She looked at Clark, who gave her the most serious look she had ever seen on his face. She suddenly had an idea of what it was. "What do you think it is, Pete?"

"Clark, it's a spaceship! What else would it be?"

"Well we don't know that for sure..."

Chloe stepped in. "Yeah, it could be a secret military project or something."

Pete was still positively giddy. "No no no. This thing's got extra-terrestrial written all over it."

Clark tried to force a smile. "Yeah, and next you'll tell us there are little green men running around the cornfield."

"Clark, I'm dead serious. Chloe, have you ever seen anything like it."

She answered honestly. "I can't say that I have."

Clark continued trying to dissuade Pete. "Don't you think if there really were aliens on Earth, they would land someplace more interesting than Smallville, Kansas?"

"This is always where aliens are! Think, Clark! Cattle mutilations, crop circles, etc. It all fits. Let's load it up into the truck."

Clark couldn't believe his ears. "You're not actually thinking of taking it, are you?"

"Clark, when the sheriff questioned me about the accident, I told him in all the confusion I couldn't remember where the truck went off the road. But it's only a matter of time before he shows up. Come on. Come on!"

Chloe would be on Pete's side normally, but she knew that Clark knew something about it. This had to be what he landed in during the meteor shower like he said. She came to his aid. "Why don't we take it to Clark's house?"

Pete was determined. "I know Mr. Kent. He'll turn it into the authorities."

Clark stepped in. "I won't tell him then. He won't know it's there."

"Clark, I'll put it in the tool shed in my back yard. No one ever goes back there."

"I still think it would be safer with me."

"Lighten up Clark. It's not like you've got license and registration on this thing. I'm the one who found it, and we're taking it to my house."

Clark sighed in defeat. Chloe couldn't think of anything to say that wouldn't sound suspicious. They both nodded and put it in the back of the truck with Pete. More than anything in the world, she wanted to be alone with him so he could tell her about the ship.

_Gasp! What happens now? Will Pete find out Clark's secret? Will Clark and Chloe still start dating openly? Find out all this and more next time. Same Super-time, same Super-channel! :)_


	12. Chapter 12

"Consequence-Free"

A Story by CoolNick44

They arrived at Pete's house, and they all got out of the truck. Pete tossed the cover off of the ship, and whistled in awe. "Who would've thought that the first alien spaceship to land on Earth gets found by three Kansas teenagers? Well, unless you believe all those Roswell stories."

Clark wasn't in any mood to laugh at jokes. The three of them took it out of the truck and dragged it over to the shed. Pete opened the shed door. "Man, this thing weighs a ton!"

"I know," Clark responded absent-mindedly. Chloe knew he was desperately thinking about how to solve this problem. Pete looked at her suddenly with a serious face. "Hey Chloe, I was thinking on the way over here, and I know what to do about the ship."

"What?"

"We'll break the story by writing an article in the Torch. People will start coming to see it, we'll get famous, go on talk shows, and get a producer credit on the movie they make about it."

Chloe froze. He really wanted to do this. Under any other circumstances she'd have called the Daily Planet already, but this was different. It belonged to Clark, or at the very least khe knew something about it. She loved him, and wouldn't do anything to harm him. "Wait a minute. Shouldn't we keep it a secret for a little while? Maybe we could learn more about it first."

Pete looked confused. "Why are you being so gun shy, Chloe? We gotta move on this fast before the driver of the truck tells somebody else."

Clark jumped in. "Pete, for all we know it could be a high-tech crop duster."

Pete sighed. "Fine. We'll hold off for a couple days and try to figure out what it is," he bent over to inspect it. "How do you think you open it?"

Clark took the opportunity to make an exit. "I don't know Pete. Hey, how about Chloe and I go look and see if anyone put up missing spaceship flyers while you figure that out."

"All right. We'll meet back here tomorrow morning?"

Clark nodded. "Sounds good. Come on, Chloe." With that, they departed in the truck. As soon as the doors were closed, Chloe gave him an expectant look.

"That was it, wasn't it Clark?"

He nodded. "You just saw what I came to Earth in."

Chloe still couldn't wrap her mind around it. "Wow. It's one thing to know you're from outer space, but that was the ship!"

Clark was still solemn. "I've got to tell Mom and Dad. We'll figure out a way to deal with it."

"Well, if worse comes to worse you could tell him your secret."

Clark looked at her. "That isn't exactly a good idea."

"What's the alternative?"

He racked his brain, but nothing came. "I don't know yet. I'll think of something after I drive you home."

"Will you call me when you decide what to do?"

"Of course."

_Later that night:_

Chloe sat in her room by the phone. It was getting late, but she knew that Clark would call. Eventually he did. She picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Chloe, I only have a second. Dad and I are on our way to get the ship from Pete's shed."

"You're going to just take it without telling him?"

"There's no other way. I'm just going to have to play dumb when he asks."

"He won't believe you."

"There's no time to worry about that. I've got to go. I love you."

"I love you too. We'll talk tomorrow." She heard the click of the reciever and hung up the phone. This was turning out horribly. If only Pete hadn't found the ship, things would be a lot simpler.

_The next morning:_

Chloe drove up to the Kent farm and parked. Clark's parents didn't seem to be home. She ran over to the barn to see if he was still home. Thankfully, he was sitting in the loft as usual, deep in thought. "Clark!"

He turned at her voice. "Chloe," he walked down the stairs, and cut right to the point. "It wasn't there."

"What?"

"When Dad and I got there last night, the ship was gone."

Chloe was confused. "Did Pete move it?"

"That's the best possible scenario. Another possibility is that it was stolen."

"But who else would know it was there?"

Clark was worried more than anything. "Maybe Pete wasn't the first one there. Maybe someone knows it was in the field and tracked it to Pete's house. That would mean that someone knows there's an alien in Smallville."

Chloe held his hand. "Whatever it is, we'll find it. The important thing is that you can actually plead innocent if Pete comes around here and mean it."

Clark looked behind her. "Looks like that time is now."

Chloe turned around and saw Pete's car approaching. "Right now we should probably pretend that we don't know what happened."

Clark and Chloe walked out to meet Pete. He had an angry expression on his face. "Hey Pete. Chloe and I didn't find any clue that anyone else knows about the ship."

"Clark, it's been stolen. Someone broke in last night."

Clark feigned surprise. "Did you tell anyone it was there?"

"No. Did you guys?"

Chloe pitched in on the act. "Not a word."

Pete grimaced. "You're both lousy liars."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't knwo if you were in on it Chloe, but I saw Clark and his dad driving away from my shed last night. All night long I kept telling myself there's gotta be some sort of logical explanation. Clark Kent would never do anything like this."

Clark was surprised that he had seen them drive away. "Pete, my dad and I didn't take the ship. Search the whole farm. It's not here."

"Then you stashed it somewhere," Pete turned away and sighed. "All these years I thought you were my best friend."

"Pete, you don't understand everything..."

Pete's expression was one of sardonic surprise. "What don't I understand? Go aheadand explain it to me then. It'll be good. Really illuminating. Hey Chloe, right about this in the Torch. The real Clark Kent exposed."

Chloe couldn't believe what was happening. Moreso, she felt helpless to do anything. He got into his car and drove off. She saw that Clark was extremely conflicted. He looked right at her. "I'm tired of lying, Chloe." With that, he ran at super speed to Pete's car and halted it with his bare hands. Pete took his foot off the gas, and his eyes were widened in utter shock. He got out and tried to put two and two together. "You were... and the car was..."

"Pete, we need to talk."

_To be continued. The plot thickens..._


	13. Chapter 13

"Consequence-Free"

A Story by CoolNick44

Clark, Chloe, and Pete were standing in the storm cellar. Pete was in shock. "So you're some sort of a... what? You're not human?"

Clark understood his frustration and confusion. This was quite the bombshell he was dropping on him. "I don't know what I am. I don't know where that ship brought me from. I just know that I grew up in Smallville, and everything that I care about and everyone that I care about is here."

Pete looked at him, slightly frowning. "If you care about me so much, how come you never told me sooner?"

"Pete, believe me, there wasn't a day that went by where I didn't want to tell you, but my parents thought it was too dangerous. Not just for me, but for anyone else who knew the truth."

Pete's frown had turned into a grimace as he looked at Chloe. "But you always knew. I was the only one kept out."

Chloe tried to put her hand on his shoulder, but he brushed her off. "Pete, I didn't find out until a couple months ago, after the tornado."

"So Chloe can handle the secret, but I couldn't?"

Clark was saddened by his reaction. "It wasn't like that." Clark paused. "Pete, another reason why I didn't say anything is because I knew people would look at me the exact same way that you're looking at me right now."

"And how's that?"

Clark sighed. "Like a freak. Pete, I've tried my whole life just to blend in, to try and be more normal than anyone else." Pete's silence wounded him more than any insult could have. "Would you just say something? Call me... call me an alien, call me a monster. I don't care, just say something."

"It's like I don't even know either of you anymore. The farmboy with a secret and the secret keeper."

Clark turned to look at Chloe. Neither of them knew what to say. "Pete, I'm the same kid that used to camp in your backyard. We used to ride our bikes in the woods, we used to play basketball with your brothers. Nothing has changed."

Chloe nodded. "I'm the same girl you always hang out with at lunch. I was never dishonest with you."

Pete turned to leave. "Yeah right."

Clark tried to follow him. "Pete, I would never try to hurt you..."

"Too late."

He left, and Clark stopped in his tracks. Chloe tried to go after him, but he stopped her. "Chloe, the best thing we can do right now is give him some space. It's not fair to think he'll just accept this and act like nothing ever happened. He needs some time to process it."

Chloe kissed him on the cheek. "You're right. He'll come around."

"I only wish he knew how horrible I felt."

Chloe looked at him with her signature _Don't-be-stupid_ look. "Clark, you had the biggest secret in the world. You shouldn't feel horrible for not announcing it to the whole world."

"But Pete is my best friend. I should've told him sooner."

"Clark, you needed to understand it yourself before you tried to help others understand it." She hugged him. "I think it might hurt the situation though if we also happened to spring the relationship thing on him."

Clark looked at her. "Chloe, I promised you that we were going to go on dates andbe able to hold hands where people can actually see us."

She smiled. "I know, and it's going to be great, but we've waited this long. The important thing right now is Pete."

He kissed her. "You know, I love you beyond words sometimes."

"I know the feeling."

Pete needed to digest the news in his own time, and the investigation into who had stolen the spaceship could wait a day. They kissed passionately, and went back to the barn. He removed her clothes gently as she not so gently removed his, and they commenced to making love. Later, when they were both on the laying on the rug, naked and sweaty, she curled up next to him and put her arm across his chest. His own arm held her close, and he smiled at her. "You're the best girlfriend anyone could ask for."

She chuckled while tracing circles lazily on his chest. "It's probably a bad joke to say that you're out of this world, isn't it?"

He laughed in response. "Well, for you I'll make an exception."

She kissed him, and then slid out of his arm to go downward. He smiled. The after-sex blowjob was always a treat, and she usually reserved it for when he had done something really good. She licked the length of him, and looked up at his face for a moment. "You're the best friend anyone could be lucky enough to have, Clark. I probably don't need to remind you that you're also the best lover, but it's fun." He moaned in pleasure as she continued reminding him.

_This is a little shorter than usual, but I was pressed for time. I'll try to find time to post a longer chapter to possibly finish up the plot for this episode tomorrow night. So with fingers crossed, that'll go according to plan. :)_


	14. Chapter 14

"Consequence-Free"

A Story by CoolNick44

It was just another school day, at least to everybody else. To Pete Ross, nothing was ordinary anymore. He was standing at his locker trying to get one of his books when Clark found him. Clark had been worried about Pete, and was hoping he'd calmed down. "Hey, Pete. Look, man, I know you're freaked out. Don't you think I freak myself out sometimes?"

Pete didn't respond. Clark sighed. "All right, look. You have every reason in the world to hate me, but I need to find that ship. The guy you pulled out of the truck, he must have told someone something. I thought we could-"

Pete interrupted him. "The other day, we were moving the ship. You said it was heavy. You were lying, weren't you? And everyday you missed the bus and still ended up at school ahead of me? You always said you got a ride, but you never got rides, did you? Our whole life you were the one person I could tell anything to, and I always did, all my secrets. But you? Everything you ever told me was a lie! Apparently you don't think of me the same way. Chloe apparently, but not me."

Clark knew that there was a time for irrationality, but this was too important. "Pete, maybe I was right not telling you, the way you're reacting."

"Clark, you don't get it do you? I don't care if you're from the moon. I was your friend since we were little kids, but you didn't trust me as much as the girl we've both only known for about two years. What kind of friendship is that?"

Clark knew that he'd have to tell Pete that he and Chloe were together at some point soon, but his mood was still too volatile. Who knew if this would worsen it? He was about to respond when he saw Chloe walk up. Pete looked at her. "Speak of the devil."

"Hey guys. Pete, how are you doing?"

"What, is this the 'let's check up on Pete to make sure he hasn't cracked and plastered 'Clark is an alien' posters all over the school' visit?"

Chloe looked hurt. "Of course not. Actually, I wanted to know if you were interested in being on the front page of the Torch. We haven't really talked about it in light of other events," she looked at Clark slightly. "But you were a hero pulling that guy out of the truck."

Pete made a sarcastic face of shock. "Are you sure it's not too spaceship connected?"

Clark jumped in again. "Pete, that isn't fair. We're still your friends."

Pete walked off without saying anything else to either of them. Chloe looked at Clark with a look of concern. Clark returned the look. "I'm beginning to wonder if it was a good idea telling him."

_Later that night:_

Chloe arrived at the barn and was greeted by Clark. "Hey Chloe. I was contemplating calling Pete. I have no idea what to do about it."

Chloe sat down with him. "Right now maybe you should let him calm down."

Clark looked saddened. "How long are we going to keep saying he'll calm down while he doesn't show any signs of doing that?"

Chloe put her arm around him. "Clark, you've known Pete forever. He's just in shock."

"I hope you're right."

Chloe smiled. "When have I ever been wrong?"

Clark kissed her. "Never."

"Chalk it up to my journalist's intuition."

Clark grinned. They started kissing, but Clark stopped. "I hear footsteps."

Chloe got up. "Should we chalk that up to alien hearing?"

They both stopped when they saw Lana standing at the entrance to the barn. She walked in. "Hi Clark, Chloe. I hope I'm not interrupting."

Chloe was still uneasy. Clark told her that he and Lana were on semi-good fotting again, but she wasn't so sure about herself and Lana. She looked at Clark. His look told her to relax.

"Hey Lana. What are you doing here?"

She looked almost embarrased. "Can I use your telescope to see if it's safe to go home?"

Clark was confused. "Why wouldn't it be safe?"

"I'm sort of hiding from Nell. Actually it's her new boyfriend, Dean."

Clark nodded. "Well come on up."

Chloe decided to be friendly as long as Lana was being friendly. "I take it you're not president of the Dean fanclub?"

"Not really. But I'm a terrible liar, so I've moved on to avoidance."

Clark nodded in understanding. "You've come to the right place."

"What happened?"

"Pete and I had a big blowout."

Lana was looking through the telescope. "Can I ask what it was about?"

"Well, let's just say that it hurts to have someone resent you for telling them the truth."

Lana paused, unsure of what to say next. "You mean..." her eyes shifted from Clark to Chloe and back again.

Clark knew what she assumed. "Oh, no. It didn't have to do with that." He held Chloe's hand for a moment as he said the last word of the sentence.

Lana nodded. "I think if Pete's your friend, he'll understand. It's better to be honest with someone."

Chloe got that she was referring to Pete and also Clark telling her about his relationship with her. "Maybe you should tell Nell how you feel."

Lana agreed. "You're right. Hiding the truth never got anybody anywhere." With that, she thanked them and made a departure.

Chloe sat down. "It's good that you can still be a friend to Lana."

Clark sat down with her. "Yeah. Both of us. And if burnt bridges can be rebuilt with Lana, we'll certainly find a way to get through to Pete."

Chloe kissed him. "Now that that's cleared up," she unbuttoned her shirt. "I think we were about to make the most out of the night." She sat on his lap and he put his mouth on her bare breast as she un-zipped his pants. "After all, some things in life don't have to be complicated."

_The next day:_

Clark walked into the Torch with a concerned look on his face. "Hey Chloe, Pete's mother called my mom this morning. He's missing."

Chloe was alarmed. "I haven't seen him either."

"Do you think something's happened to him?"

Chloe motioned him over to the computer. "Come look at this. The guy Pete saved died at the hospital late yesterday. Apparently he had a certain Dr. Steven Hamilton visit him before he flatlined."

Clark was confused. "The meteor freak? I thought he left Smallville."

"So did I. Pete plays good samaritan, and Dr. Hamilton visits the patient. Then the patient dies and Pete disappears."

Clark nodded grimly. "Connect the dots."

"It's not a smoking gun, but..."

"It's good enough. I'll go check on Hamilton."

Chloe got up and grabbed him by the arm. "Hey, wait up there Cowboy. Hamilton experiments with meteor rocks, which are deadly to you. Don't you think I should come along as back-up?"

"It's too dangerous."

Chloe smirked. "That's supposed to be a deterrent? Here I thought you knew me. If your life is going to be in danger, I'm backing you up." He was still conflicted. "Don't worry. I won't intervene unless I need to."

"Fine. Just promise not to put yourself in danger unnecessarilly." They left school, and drove off in the truck.

_Dr. Hamilton's residence, Allentown Road:_

Clark pulled up outside Hamilton's house. Chloe got out and walked over to knock on the door. Clark stopped her. "I've got a better way." He used his X-Ray vision. "They aren't in the house." He continued scanning. "They're in the barn! You have to stay outside. I'll get Pete."

Clark threw the door open and saw Hamilton about to inject Pete with liquid meteor rock. "Put the needle down, Doctor!"

Hamilton looked at Clark in shock. "Not until he tells me what he knows."

Clark ran in and punched Hamilton, who dropped the needle on the ground. It shattered, and it's contents made Clark weak. Pete was surprised. "Clark, what's wrong?!"

"It's the meteor rocks! I'm allergic to them."

Hamilton got on steady footing again. "It's you!" He pointed at Clark. "The ship is yours! Open it! Open it for me!"

Clark grabbed Hamilton and tossed him into a wall. He untied Pete, but Hamilton grabbed a vial of liquid meteor rock and went to hurl it at Clark. Chloe ran in to help, but before she could lunge at him, Pete did it, sending him flying into a table full of metor rock vials. It poured all over him. Suddenly his body was overtaken in a massive seizure, and he died. Clark also fell down and near a puddle of the glowing green liquid. Chloe and Pete rushed over to him and picked him up. They made an exit. Clark was staring at the body. "Hamilton is dead."

Chloe was having trouble supporting his weight. "The bastard deserved it anyway. Come on, we'd better get the ship."

As soon as Clark was able to stand on his own again, Chloe and Pete went to get the ship.

_The Kent Farm, the next day:_

Chloe found Clark and Pete standing outside the barn. "So this super speed thing is what, 20 or 30 miles an hour?"

Clark smiled. "Yeah, something like that."

"What about the X-Ray deal? Have you ever used it to look through a girl's..." he stopped as he saw Chloe. "Oh hey Chloe."

She was laughing. "Don't think I didn't hear that." She rolled her eyes. "Teenage boys."

Clark looked back to Pete. "It only works when I focus it and even then I nevr use it to invade other people's privacy."

"Ah come on! You mean you never once looked into the girl's locker room?"

Chloe waited for Clark to answer the question. She had to admit the thought had crossed her mind.

Clark was blushing. "Well, it happened once by accident when I first developed it."

Pete grinned. "That's my boy."

Chloe was satisfied with that response. She of course wasn't the jealous type, but it was nice to hear some confirmation. "Okay Pete, enough with giving Clark the third degree," she sad jokingly.

"One more question. Have you been holding back on the court?"

Clark nodded. "A little."

"So what are you waiting for? Show me what you really got."

Clark smiled. "I don't think you want to go there Pete."

Chloe smirked. "Come on Clark. You don't want to deprive poor Pete the chance to be beaten at Basketball by an alien, do you?"

"All right. Just remember you asked for it."

Pete was still smiling. "Now we all know if I come out there and guard you, you're not getting anywhere near this hoop. I don't care what kind of powers you got."

Chloe was content to watch the two of them have fun. She finally wasn't the only one to know Clark's secret. It felt surprisingly good, like a weight had been lifted. She was however, content to keep being the only one to be Clark's lover. That was a weight she was more than happy to bear.

_"Duplicity" is finished. Huzzah! A quick programming note. I'm going on vacation tomorrow and won't be back until next week. This means there won't be any new updates for a bit. (I'm hoping to post again around Thursday.) That info is just so that the lack of new chapters won't make anyone think I've quit the story. Don't despair though, Chlark fans. The next chapter starts "Red", and it's going to be well worth the wait. *cackles evilly*_


	15. A Temporary Delay

Hello everyone. I'm back from vacation. I'm also sincerely sorry to say that there won't be a new chapter today, but not for lack of trying. I had the whole thing typed up and ready to go, but the whole thing accidentally got deleted thanks to a computer error. I'm much too frustrated to re-type it now, but I make a solemn oath that it will be up tomorrow night for all to see. You'll all be able to read my version of "Red" soon, so don't lose hope, loyal readers. :)

A thousand apologies for the delay,

CoolNick44


	16. Chapter 16

"Consequence-Free"

A Story by CoolNick44

Chloe held the ring in her hand and smirked. "Nothing says 'School Spirit' like a ring that looks like it was jacked from P. Diddy."

Pete laughed at her remark, but Clark remained obstinate. "I think it looks great, Chloe."

Chloe was persistent. "Clark, I think you'll be lucky if the glue holds through graduation. I wonder if the ruby's even real."

Pete voiced his agreement. "Clark, are you sure you want to do this?"

"I'm here, aren't I?"

Pete sighed. "I believe your dad's exact words were, "$350 dollars is a lot of money to spend on something you really don't need."

Clark took out the money to pay for the ring. "I earned this money. Besides, my dad said it was my decision to make."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Which means you're really not supposed to buy it. Don't you know how parents use reverse psychology like that to induce guilt?"

Clark bought the ring. "I'll deal with my dad." Eager to change the topic of discussion, Clark pointed over to where Lana was talking to another girl. "Hey, who's that with Lana. I haven't seen her around before."

Chloe saw who he was talking about. "Oh yeah. She's the new girl. Her name's Jesse, and the rumor is that she's trouble."

Pete motioned to a man approaching Lana and Jesse with a stern look on his face. "It looks like Mr. Gibbons is going to have a word with her. That outfit violates eight kinds of dress codes." He grinned slightly. "Not that I'm complaining..."

Chloe jokingly slapped his arm. Neither of them noticed Clark slip the ring on, and the ensuing red hue that overtook his eyes. Clark smiled, and laughed at Jesse's remark about the dress code. Mr. Gibbons glared at Clark. "You think that's funny, Mr. Kent?"

"I'm not changing", Jesse sarcastically remarked.

"Well perhaps you'd like to discuss your attitude in my office."

Clark stepped in to intervene on her behalf. "Excuse me, Mr. Gibbons? I think she looks really hot. And I think that your dress code... sucks."

"Excsue me?"

"I mean, come on...it's her first day. Cut her some slack. Besides, I don't think you should be the one giving fashion tips."

Mr. Gibbons turned his attention back to Jesse. "Tomorrow young lady, proper attire or you're going straight home."

Lana gave Clark a weird look, but then looked at Jesse again. "I guess we can continue our tour now."

They walked off, and Clark walked back to Pete and Chloe. Chloe looked at Clark in shock. "What was that, Clark?"

Pete nodded in agreement. "Yeah, where did that come from?"

Clark shrugged. "I don't know, but I think I like it."

_After School:_

As Chloe was leaving to go home, Clark found her and playfully slapped her on the rear to get her attention. "Hey Chloe."

She was startled. "Clark! Don't do that! People could see."

He leaned down to kiss her. "So?"

She pulled away. "What was that earlier with the new girl?"

Clark put his arm around her. "It was nothing. You know I love you. Come on, let's go have some fun. We'll go grab a beer."

Her eyes widened. "A beer?!"

He smiled. "Sure, why not? There's a great place where they don't card that's right over the county line."

"Clark, is there something going on?"

Clark smiled. "Of course not. I feel great."

"Well, I'm going home to do things that are legal."

Clark rolled his eyes. "Fine, don't have fun. I'll go see if Pete wants to have some guy fun."

"Are you going to be at the Talon tonight for our history test studying?"

Clark nodded. "If you're going to be there, count on it."

_That night:_

Chloe and Pete sat at a table in the Talon with their history books open. Pete was making a statement about their assignment, but was interrupted by Clark's entrance. Lana was at the counter making everyone a coffee. "Hey Clark, glad you could make it. We were studying American History. The Red Scare."

Clark walked behind the counter to speak with her. "Hey, um, can we do that tomorrow?"

"Why, is something wrong?"

"No. It's really nice out tonight. Why don't we go out for a drive. We'll go dancing."

Lana was shocked. "It sounds like you're asking me out."

"I'm asking you to have some fun with me."

He had told her that he was serious about being with Chloe, and she had believed him. Was that all a lie? "What about Chloe?"

"I'll ask her too. We can make it a threesome." He said that last part innocently.

She started to walk away. "I have to study."

"Do you know your nose crinkles when you get serious? It's sexy."

Lana pushed past him and back to the table. Pete looked at Clark. "Hey man. Where are your books?"

Clark ignored the question. "You guys wanna go to a bar?"

Pete laughed awkwardly. "Hey Clark, you can commit academic suicide if you want, but we really need to cram."

"High School is supposed to be fun, guys. This isn't fun. Come on, my treat."

"Since when did you hook up with the money truck?"

Clark's look turned serious. "Since I decided there's no percentage in playng poverty."

Chloe got up. "I'm going to go get a refill, and then grab you a decaf."

Lana followed. "I'll give you a hand."

Clark watched them both behind the counter. "Hey Pete, did you know that Chloe has a birthmark on her cheek?"

Pete was confused. "No she doesn't."

He grinned wickedly. "Not that cheek."

Pete had to do a double take. "That's Chloe you're X-Raying, man!"

"Yeah. It's Chloe. Come on, let's go have some fun."

"Clark, if you want to party this weekend, I'm with you. Right now though, this test is half our grade."

Clark sighed and turned to leave. "Fine. When you're done with Boring 101, give me a call."

Chloe saw Clark leave. She had to talk to him alone again and try to make sense of it all.

_Near midnight:_

Chloe pulled up outside the Kent farm so as not to wake Clark's parents, and walked over to the barn. She knew that Clark always stayed up late. "Clark? You in here?"

"Hey Chloe." Clark was putting a heavy looking box down with ease. "You wanna grab something and bring it up? There's more boxes in the back of the truck."

Chloe looked at the truck outside. "Clark, where did you get all this stuff?"

Clark came down and smiled. "Discount Eddie's in Metropolis. They're open all night."

"How did you pay for it?"

"The magic of credit cards."

Chloe looked through his purchases. "Clark, what's going on with you lately? Just this morning you were fine, and now... is that a TV? Never mind."

Clark laughed. "Chloe, why don't you come on up and sit."

She hesitantly walked up the stairs to the couch. "Well?"

He sat down next to her. "I don't know what it is, but I've felt like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I love it. I'm sorry if I've made you feel uncomfortable though. It's just that I'm having fun getting to know the new me."

He leaned in to kiss her, but she stopped him. "Clark, I got the impression from Lana that you were hitting on her."

He looked at her confusedly. "Well you got the wrong impression then. I'd never want to be with anyone but you."

She wanted to believe him. "It's just a lot to digest."

Clark grinned. "Hold on a second." He got up to grab a bag. "Discount Eddie's wasn't the only store I visited." He pulled out a glass bottle shaped like a heart and read the label. "Massage Oil for Lovers. Stawberry scented too." He put some in his hands and sat down to rub her shoulders. She tried to move away, but her willpower was being slowly diminished with each passing second. He had magnificent hands. She accidentally let out a small moan.

Clark nibbled on her earlobe. "I want you to get to know the new me too." He went to remove her shirt, but she stopped him. He looked at her innocently. "I can't get to your back with that still on." She slowly removed her hand from his and he gently took it off and laid it beside her. "God, you're so beautiful."

She shivered slightly as he turned her to face him with a look of desire. At that moment she threw all common sense to the wind and removed her bra. He smiled, and put more oil on his hands. Clark cupped her breasts, and rubbed over her soft nipples with agonizing slowness. She grabbed him and nearly tore his shirt off. Soon they were both completely naked. She barely noticed that he still had his class ring on. She took the bottle and put massage oil in her hands. She rubbed his chest, savoring the feeling. They fell onto the floor, and he kissed her passionately as he guided himself into her warm, wet center. She groaned in pleasure.

_The next morning:_

Chloe woke up in her own bed. She got up to look out the window. Her car was in the driveway as well. Clark must have taken her home last night. She smiled. Maybe she had been worrying for nothing. This new liberated attitude might do both of them some good.

_I upheld my solemn oath. No power in the 'verse can stop me from writing a story, even computer errors that delete your work. :) Please review and let me know how you like "Red" so far. _


	17. Chapter 17

"Consequence-Free"

A Story by CoolNick44

Chloe arrived at school feeling pretty good. The changes that Clark had exhibited were, while odd, not totally unwelcome. The agressively ambitious changes also showed in the bedroom, or barn as it were. She wasn't as concerned about things as she was yesterday. She found Pete, who looked worried. "Hey Chloe, do you have any idea what's going on with Clark?"

She hesitated for a moment. "I caught up with him last night. He explained that he was just feeling different lately. I'm sure that if we just give him a little time, everything will be fine."

Pete looked past her and his eyes widened in shock. "Let's hope you're right, because here comes Mr. Different now."

Chloe looked in the direction he pointed toward and saw Clark on a motorcycle with Jesse Brooks. He pulled up and she got off the bike, smiling flirtatiously. "Well Clark, thanks for the ride."

He returned the smile even more wickedly. "Anytime."

Chloe approached asshe walked off. "So much for the Clark Kent we all know and love." She put extra emphasis on the last word.

He tried to look innocent. "I was just being a good samaritan and giving the girl a ride to school." He leaned close to whisper. "I'll give you a ride after school, if you aren't too worn out from the one last night."

She was disgusted. "You're acting like a pig!"

He shrugged. "Just being the new me. The weight of the world's been lifted off my shoulders, remember?" He said that in a way that purposely mocked the sensitive tone he used the previous night.

She wanted to slap him. Instead she half walked half ran away, trying to keep the tears from streaming down her face.

Pete approached Clark as well. "Clark Kent, chick magnet. What's wrong with this picture?"

"People change, Pete."

"I'm not that impressed by the new you, Clark. What did you say to Chloe to make her storm off like that?"

Clark laughed. "Oh Pete. The stories I could tell you."

Pete noticed the Kent family pick-up driving up. "Looks to me like your dad's not too impressed either."

A very angry looking Jonathan Kent got out of the truck, and his glare made Pete take a few steps back even though his attention was aimed elsewhere. "Clark, I'd like a word with you please."

Clark obviously wasn't fazed. "Not right now, Dad."

Jonathan grabbed him by the shoulder. "Get in the truck, son."

Clark finally looked him in the eye. "Give me one reason why I should."

"Because I am your father and I just told you to get in the truck."

Clark got angry, and shoved Jonathan with great force. He fell against the truck hard enough to dent it. Clark walked away, leaving Pete to go see if he was alright. Chloe had also seen what had happened, and went to see him as well. "Mr. Kent! Are you okay?"

Jonathan tried to get up, but groaned in pain. "I'm fine. Just give me a second."

Pete looked confused more than angry. "What's happening to Clark?"

Jonathan looked incredibly sad. "I have no idea."

_The Talon:_

Clark found Lana standing behind the counter, trying to avoid him. Maybe she'd be up to giving him a shot if he laid it on thick enough. "Lana, we need to talk."

"I need to get these orders done."

"The coffee can wait. I saw you looking at me earlier when I dropped Jessie off at school. You were jealous, weren't you?"

She set the tray down. "You're dating Chloe."

"Lana, you know that you've always been the only one for me. I was going through a phase."

Lana tried to leave again. "That's not really fair to Chloe, is it?"

Clark detained her once more. "Why are we talking so much about her? We should be talking about us. About the fact that I want to have a completely honest relationship with you."

"Clark, I have no idea what's going on with you right now, but I don't want to be a part of it. Why choose now to reveal all your secrets?"

He grinned. "Haven't you ever been curious about what happened during the twisters? Or the million other times I've just happened to be there when you were in danger?"

"Chloe and I used to be friends and I've been trying to get back to that. I'm not going to ruin everything."

He frowned. She really wasn't budging. "I really want to talk to you honestly. No tricks. Be at the wild coyote tonight at eight and I'll tell you everything." With that, he left. Lana was incredibly disoriented about everything. He had pledged no tricks, and she had wanted to know what his secret was for years. Would it really hurt to see if he had anything worth saying? Was it worth it? Moreso, she had to wonder if she still had feelings for him. He told her he loved Chloe though. She didn't know what to think.

_The Torch:_

Pete walked in to see Chloe in a panic. "Chloe, what's wrong?"

"Pete, close the door."

He did so. "Does this have to do with Clark?"

"In a big way. The class rings are fake."

"...So?"

She would've been smiling at her discovery under other circumstances. "The Jewelry Company was substituting Meteor Rocks for rubies to save money."

Pete knew how the rocks affected Clark, but the rings didn't have fake emeralds in them. "Chloe, meteor rocks are green."

"Not the load they found near Hobbes Pond. It's red meteor rock. Different kind of rock, different effect."

It all started making sense. "Clark started acting differently right after he got the ring."

"Exactly. You've got to go tell the Kents. I'll look and see if I can't find out more."

Pete remembered that the Kents didn't know that Chloe was in on Clark's secret yet. He had meant to inquire asto why that was, but now hardly seemed the time. He left in a hurry.

_Luthor Mansion:_

Lex walked into his office to see Clark Kent standing there. "Well, I came to shoot some pool, but this establishment has apparently been closed."

Lex sighed in defeat. "My father's presence requires certain... sacrifices."

Clark shrugged. "I'd throw him out."

Lex sat down. "The thought has occurred to me, but his blindness changes the situation."

"Just because your father has a problem doesn't mean he has to ruin your life."

Lex raised his eyebrow and grinned slightly. "I wasn't aware that two thousand dollar coat came witha backbone. What's going on?"

Clark smiled. "I need to borrow the Ferrari. I've got a hot date tonight and I want to rock her world."

Lex had wondered when Clark would tell him about Chloe. He decided to not tell him about his accidental glance from a few weeks ago. "A hot date, huh?"

"Like you tried to tell me so many times Lex, a man needs to know when to make his move."

Lex looked confused. "Yes, but I said that in regards to Lana Lang."

"Hence the date. I finally took your advice."

This was an odd development. "You're going out with Lana? I had been getting the impression recently that you... moved on."

Clark laughed. "Well, a man also has to keep his options open."

This wasn't the Clark Kent that Lex knew. "I never thought Lana was the type of girl to be impressed by a fancy car."

"Fast cars, fancy home, and a ton of money never seemed to hurt you, did it? Come on Lex. I just want to make tonight special."

Lex wasn't sure he was okay with Clark taking Lana out in order to keep his options open. She deserved better than that. "It's an expensive piece of machinery Clark. Difficult to handle."

Clark gave him a trustworthy look. "It's not like I'm going to drive it off a bridge. Plus, who's more responsible than Clark Kent?"

_The Wild Coyote, 8:11 P.M.:_

Lana reluctantly entered the establishment. She shouldn't have come. The only reason she did was because she really did want to know what Clark's secret was. Maybe it had to do with what was making him act so differently as of late. She jumped in shock when she heard him beind her saying hello. "Clark, you scared me. Was that Lex's ferrari out front?"

"He let me borrow it. Want to dance, and then we'll take it for a spin later?"

"Clark, you said you wanted to talk honestly."

He smiled seductively. "What's not honest about that? Come on, I'll buy you a drink."

"What? No! You said no tricks. I'm leaving. I shouldn't have come in the first place."

Clark grabbed her. "Lana, wait. The honesty will come in good time. First, a little fun."

"You can't honestly think I'm going to dance with you."

Clark shrugged. "Fine, we'll skip the dancing. Tell me you haven't wanted to do this for years." He grabbed her and kissed her. She tried to pull away, but... God, he was a good kisser. She had to find the strength to break away.

Outside, Chloe parked and got out of her car in a hurry. Clark had mentioned that he wanted to goto this bar. It was a long shot, but maybe she could find him here now, and with any luck get the ring off. She walked in and scanned the crowd. It wasn't hard to spot Clark. Except he wasn't alone. He was kising Lana Lang. And it looked like she was reciprocating.

Lana finally pushed him as hard as she could and turned to go. She saw Chloe standing there, tears welling up in her eyes. She ran out in shock. Lana tried to follow. "Chloe wait! It's not what it looks like!"

Clark watched as Lana left. Well that was a waste of time. He ordered a beer, and then heard a female voice. "Make that two beers." It was Jesse. She sat down at the barnext to him and grinned. "Fancy meeting you here. I see you're alone."

"You see right." He put his arm around her. Tonight wouldn't be a total waste after all. "Hey, maybe we should go somewhere more quiet. I just don't feel like dancing anymore." He kissed her.

_Well this is another fine mess I've written us into! :) Sorry for not updating sooner. Life's been crazy, but what else is new?__ Here's hoping the next update will come in a more timely fashion. As always, reviews are appreciated. _


	18. Chapter 18

"Consequence-Free"

A Story by CoolNick44

_I know it's a shock to see a new update after this long, and I sincerely apologize. I haven't been afforded many opportunities to write as of late. I have attempted to write another chapter to this story in the past, but time just wasn't working for me. You have all been wonderful with your reviews and support though, and I have finally found a new schedule that permits me to occasionally write. I started with this, because it just wouldn't be fair to leave my first Smallville story unresolved. (Hopefully someone still cares.) This will be the final chapter of the story though, because I'm looking to move on to new stories for the time being. I hope you guys and girls enjoy this ending, and so long for now. _

Jonathan Kent was in the barn, chopping wood in an effort to vent his frustration through work. He couldn't believe that his son was under the influence of some meteor rock that was making him act so different, but he couldn't do a damn thing to help. Martha came rushing in looking shocked. "Martha?"

"Jonathan, it's Clark. He's back."

Jonathan ran out of the barn with Martha to see Clark sitting in the driver's seat of a Ferrari that Jonathan surmised he either bought, stole, or got from Lex Luthor. "Where were you all night? We looked everywhere!"

Clark was smiling euphorically. "Last night was the best night of my life."

Jonathan grimaced. Martha pleaded with her son. "Clark, let us help you."

Clark laughed. "You want to help me? Help me do what? Stay on the farm doing chores for a $20 a week allowance?"

Jonathan was at his wits' end. "Clark, just listen to yourself. There's something wrong with you. It's that ring."

Clark looked at the Red Kyrptonite on his finger and scoffed. "You're still mad at me for buying this ring? How pathetic."

Jonathan grabbed him by the arm. "Son..."

Clark yanked his arm away. "You really don't want to touch me right now."

Martha tried frantically to make her son see reason. "Clark, Pete came by earlier and told us that that ring you're wearing has red meteor rock in it. It's making you act like this!"

Jonathan nodded his head. "The green rocks make you sick, right? This one changes your whole personality instead."

Clark seemed to believe him. "You mean this is responsible for the new me?" He laughed. "I'm sad I didn't find this baby sooner then. If you want to waste your life in a mud hole, then be my guest. I'm through being poor."

Jonathan was hurt, and it showed, even though he knew this couldn't really be Clark. "We may not have all the things other people have, but I always thought our family wasn't about that."

"Well I've got a whole new life now. I can have any life I want with my powers. You've just been holding me back."

"We've been protecting you. It was always our worst nightmare that someone would come and take you away."

Clark rolled his eyes. "Oh please. You might've told yourselves that, but all you wanted was another piece of farm equipment. That's all gonna change now." Clark put his foot on the gas pedal and sped away, leaving his parents behind him. Jonathan held Martha in his arms, praying for a miracle.

_The Luthor Mansion:_

Lex was shocked as he saw Clark throw both doors open and stride into the office. "Hey Lex. I'll be keeping the Ferari a little longer. I'll send it back after I get myself set up."

Lex was worried. "Anything important happen I should know about?"

"I left home."

"Was it a fight with your folks?"

Clark laughed bitterly. "My parents don't understand me, or anything for that matter. There's nothing left for me here."

"I thought you and Lana were..."

Clark smiled devilishly. "She's old news. I've got a new girl, Jesse."

First Chloe, then Lana, now this. "Isn't that kind of sudden?"

"Listen Lex. Smallville isn't where either of us are meant to be. Why don't we leave together and make our mark on the world. Clark Kent and Lex Luthor. We'll rule the world if we put our heads together."

Lex needed to do something. Best right now to play along and keep him here. "You're absolutely right. My father can have the mansion. Why don't I go tie up some loose ends at the office, and come right back to pack. We can use my penthouse in Metropolis."

Clark grinned and sat down in a chair. "I'll just make myself at home while you're gone."

_The Kent Farm:_

Pete couldn't believe what he'd just heard. "Mr. Kent, I don't know. This doesn't seem like the right thing to do."

Jonathan had the small box containing Green Kryptonite in his hand, which he then put in his shirt pocket. "Pete, Clark will not listen to reason. This is truly the only way now."

Pete sighed resignedly, but then he saw Lex Luthor standing outside the barn and motioned Jonathan not to say anything. Lex entered the barn. "Mr. Kent. Pete."

Jonathan was in no mood for another of Lex's visits. "Lex, this is really not a good time."

Lex cut to the point. "I understand you and Clark have been having some problems."

"I don't want to be rude, but I'd prefer if you stayed out of my family's problems."

Lex nodded unterstandingly. "Listen, I'm not trying to pry. Clark is my friend, and I don't want to see his relationship with you and Mrs. Kent fall apart."

Jonathan really needed to leave. "Lex, I appreciate the concern. I really do. But we can work this out on our own."

"Then why is your son currently hiding out at the mansion?"

_The Luthor Mansion:_

Pete, Jonathan, and Lex entered his office, only to see an unconscious man pinned to the wall and Lionel Luthor sitting in a chair. Lionel seemed surprised. "Who is that? Is that you Clark?"

Lex was shocked. "Dad, it's me. What happened here?"

Lionel smiled. "Well, the young Kent boy came here and was pursued by a federal marshal. I assume he's still here?"

Jonathan hit his hand against the wall. "Damn it, where could he have gone?"

Lionel seemed shocked that Jonathan was in the room. "Mr. Kent, you've raised quite the young man there," he said, voice dripping with snark.

Lex ushered Jonathan and Pete into the hallway before he had a chance to respond physically to that comment. "I think I have some idea where Clark is going. He mentioned that he had a new girlfriend, Jesse."

Pete's eyes widened. "That's the new girl from school."

Jonathan's eyes brightened somewhat. "Do we know where she lives?"

Pete was already heading down the hallway. "No, but Chloe can look into the school's records. Let's go."

_The Torch:_

Chloe sat alone in her chair, staring at a black computer screen. _It's the meteor rock_, she tells herself over and over. She knew in her mind that Clark wasn't Clark. The tears were still in her eyes anyway. She should've spoken to Lana more, because she knew that she wasn't responsible for that kiss the previous night. Still, it made her think. What if Clark never loved her, or at least not as much as Lana from the start. That red rock couldn't have manufactured everything. She didn't know what to do, and every moment she sat there trying to hold herself together she felt worse. She heard footsteps outside, and saw Pete and Jonathan Kent step into the Torch. Jonathan couldn't get the words out of his mouth fast enough. "Chloe, something's going on with Clark. He isn't acting like himself."

Oh great, they're coming to her for help, when she can't even find the will to stand. "I know, Mr. Kent. Something is wrong with him."

Jonathan continued. "We have good reason to believe he's going to leave town with a girl from your school named Jesse. Can you look up in the school's records where she lives?"

Chloe was so numb she wasn't fazed by this new development. "Yes I can." She would've cracked a joke about how peekingat school files was technically illegal at any other time. It only took a minute to get an adress. "She apparently lives right on the outskirts of town. I can show you on a map."

Pete was concerned about the tears he noticed in Chloe's eyes, and at the fact that she didn't want to come with them to find Clark. She gave Jonathan a county map and used a pen to circle something on it. He looked at Pete. "We have to go. I'll go and tell Lex that we'll handle it on our own."

Pete nodded and Jonathan left the room. "Chloe, what's wrong?"

"Pete, it's too complicated."

"I'm a smart guy. Look, whatever it is, it doesn't matter right now. The more people Clark has around who know him, the better shot we have at getting through. Mr. Kent has green meteor rock in his pocket ready to use, but I don't want it to come to that. Do you?"

Chloe willed herself to get up. She knew it was the right thing to do. "Only one problem. Mr. Kent doesn't know that I know the secret."

Pete paused to think, but Chloe was already marching outside. They met Jonathan, who started walking out to the truck as soon as he saw them coming. "Lex just left. Chloe, what are you doing here? I don't think it's safe for you to come." He glared at Pete for not keeping her at the school.

Chloe took a deep breath. "Mr. Kent, Clark told me everything a while ago. I understand if you're shocked or angry, but Clark needs people who know him right now, and we shouldn't be bickerign over who knows the secret."

Jonathan was shocked, but he didn't have time to be angry. "We'll talk about this later."

_Outisde the Brooks home:_

Jonathan was running through the corn fields, trying to find his son, so fast that he nearly collided with Jesse, currently running for her life. "Are you Jessie Brooks?"

"Yes! He's hurt my dad, and he's trying to find me!"

"Don't worry, just run. He won't find you."

She nodded urgently and kept running in the opposite direction Jonathan was. Eventually he found Pete, who had been coming from a different angle. "No sign?"

Pete was about to say no when they both heard Clark's voice. "Jesse! Come out from wherever you're hiding!"

They both followed the direction of the voice. Clark was there, in an empty clearing, when he saw them. "Oh, it's you two again. Didn't I tell you to leave me alone?"

Jonathan stood in Clark's path defiantly. "I'm not going to let you hurt anyone else."

Clark smiled. "Still trying to tell me what to do? You just fear my power. You and Mom were always afraid of me."

Jonathan was weary. "Clark, your mother and I have never had anything but love for you. Take the ring off and we can talk. The Clark I know wouldn't want his mind being controlled by a ring."

"The Clark you know is gone. Now get out of my way, old man."

Jonathan swallowed hard and shut his eyes for a second. "Pete, do it."

Pete opened the box he had in his pocket and took out the green rock, holding it up to Clark. "I'm so sorry, Clark."

Clark gasped in pain and fell to his knees. Jonathan held a large hammer, ready to smash the ring. "I love you, son."

Jonathan was a second too late, and Clark grabbed him by the ankle and thre him into Pete, who dropped the kryptonite too the ground. Jonathan slowly tried to get up, but Clark pinned him down with his foot. "I guess the only way to get you out of my life is to end you."

"Clark, stop!" Chloe appared from the rows of corn and stood in front of him. "This isn't you."

"Great. You too. This is like a reunion special!"

Chloe put her hands on his shoulders. "Clark, I know you're stronger than the red rock and I want you to fight. I know you can do it!"

Clark shrugged her hands off of him. "I'm surprised. You still don't hate me like I thought. What's it gonna take Chloe? Burning down an orphanage?"

Jonathan was standing up again, holding the green rock behind his back. Clark noticed him, but didn't care. Chloe could only think of one more thing to do. "Clark Kent, I need you to snap out of it because I love you. And the part of you that's real said you love me too." She grabbed him and kissed him. When she finally broke away Clark was slightly dazed. "Chloe..."

"Now!" she shouted. Jonathan hit him in the back of the head with the green rock and Clark collapsed onto the ground.

Jonathan knelt next to him. "It's going to be alright son."

_The Talon, Next Day:_

Lana was behind the counter, making an espresso. She had been experiencing so many conflicting feelings that she didn't know what to do. She was still shocked at what Clark had been acting like. When she kissed him at that bar, she hated herself for giving in, even for a moment. She didn't think she could ever forgive him. She saw someone sitting at the counter and wondered how long she had been staring at nothing instead of helping customers. She then realized it was Lex sitting there. "Hey."

"Lex, hi! I'm sorry, I guess I zoned out for a minute there."

"It's alright. It's been a tumultuous few days for everyone."

Lana realized that the Talon was pretty much empty, so she sat down on the stool next to Lex. "Just when I think I know the direction my life is headed, I'm thrown for a loop."

Lex smiled. "And here I thought that was just me. It's okay to be confused sometimes about how you feel toward... people."

"You mean Clark. I don't even want to talk about him."

Lex nodded. "Okay. I just wanted you to know that if you ever need to talk, I'm here."

Lana smiled. "Thanks, Lex." They both got up and hugged. "You're a really good friend."

Lex put his hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "Hearing that from you means a lot to me."

_The Kent Farm, __One week later:_

Clark was standing in the barn, looking out at the sun. He heard someone behind him, and turned to see Chloe. "Hello."

"Hi." She tried to say something. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah. The effects of the red rock vanished as soon as the ring came off. I did have to spend a day off my feet because of that green rock to the back of my head though." He tried to phrase that last part like a joke and smile slightly.

"So I guess you've had the long awkward talk with your parents."

Clark was able to laugh under his breath at that. "Yes. About the rock... and you."

Chloe looked away. She wanted for the life of her to not be there and face these emotions. "Oh. You know, maybe I should go. I didn't mean to..."

Clark couldn't think of anything to say that would alleviate the pain. For either of them. "Chloe, don't go yet. I feel like I need to be honest with you if I'm ever going to get a good night's sleep again. I completely understand if you don't want me to have one, but I hope you'll hear what I need to say."

She felt slightly relieved that Clark would be the one doing the talking and that she could just stand awkwardly and listen.

He continued. "The red rock didn't completely manufacture the things I said when I was wearing it. I wish to God it did, but it didn't. Every day since I found out I had these powers, I've struggled with their implications," he paused. "Chloe, sometimes I have a dream where I just let myself lose control and hurt everyone I care about. I had that dream a lot when we got together. Absolute power can corrupt, just like the saying goes," he sat down on a hay bale, taking a long breath. "I live every day knowing that I can't let it slip. That I can't let myself give in to doing things for selfish reasons. That ring just took every slight urge I've ever felt to not play by the rules and amplified them by a thousand percent, and I hate myself for it. It's been hell this past week just thinking about what people..." he dropped the pretense. "What you think of me."

Chloe had to air what she was feeling too. "Clark, you have to deal with something no one else on this planet has. I don't think I'm in a position to blame you for just having normal thoughts and feelings that anyone would have in your place," she finally looked him in the eye. "But the red rock amplified all the aspects of your personality, and all the feelings you have..." She hoped she wouldn't have to finish that sentence.

Clark knew. "Lana," he tried to find the right words to continue. "She was the girl next door that I had a crush on for years. And a part of me will always be sorry that she didn't turn out to be the one I love and trust. But any feeling for her that I exhibited these past few days were from the past."

It wasn't lost on Chloe that he just told her overtly that she was the one he loved and trusted. "Clark, I haven't been staying away these last few days because I've hated you. I won't lie and say that I didn't need to hear all those things you just said, but I just couldn't face coming here to have this conversation, especially this part."

Clark looked vaguely confused. "What part?"

"Where we talk about us," she leaned against the beam opposite Clark. "To tell you the truth I was terrified that one day I was going to find a Dear Jane letter on my doorstep saying that you thought I deserved someone better, and you needed to do some major soul-searching, the whole bit."

Clark looked at her. "Well, you do deserve someone better than me, and I already have been searching my soul, and will continue to, to find some peace. I guess I was just too cowardly to put it in a letter because I don't want to leave you." He stood up.

A tear was in her eye, but not of the same as from a week ago. "I don't want us to be over either, Clark." She moved a little closer. "I don't want someone else. I want to give us another chance."

Clark actually did smile, and she embraced him, which he quickly returned. He wanted to stay like this forever. In her arms, and vice versa. "You mean everything to me."

She stepped back a little so that she could see him. "Right back at you." She kissed him passionately.

They sat down on the couch in the loft. Clark laughed slightly. "I did tell my parents that we were together. My mom approved, for the record, and said I was lucky to have a nice girl like you in my life. Dad made the same sentiment, at least after giving me a lecture about secrets and responsibility first."

Chloe laughed and snuggled next to him, resting her head in the crook of his neck while he put his arm around her. "I love you, Chloe."

"I love you too, Clark."

_Never the End._


End file.
